A shadow over us all
by BrazilianPhantom
Summary: Naraku isn't the only dangerous being around and something else is trying to steal the shards, both from him and Kagome. Something ancient. And no one is able to stop it on their own. But maybe, just maybe, joining forces will work. Other issues prevent Inuyasha's gang from fulfilling their duties too, and Sesshoumaru must try and compensate for that. Sess/Kag. Cover from Google.
1. Chapter 1 - More important things to do

**AN: Hi, guys! How's it going?**

 **So, I've written some fics before, but never in English (since I'm not a native English speaker) and never for Inuyasha, neither have I ever posted on . Wow, that's a whole lot of debuts in one single post!**

 **BUT I'm really excited about this project. I'll try to keep regular updates as best as I can. If you have anything to say about this fic, please do! Be constructive, though, please. LoL**

 **Anyway, I've already written a few chapters for this story, and I'll try to keep regular updates. Let's get started, shall we? :)**

 **P.S.: Last I checked, I owed nothing but the plot.**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Daiyoukai: Great demon**

 **Hai: Yes**

 **Hanyou: Half-demon**

 **Onna: Woman-child**

 **Osuwari: Sit**

 **Shikon no Kekara: Sacred jewel shards**

 **Sakura: Cherry blossom**

 **Youkai: Demon**

 **-chan: Affectionate suffix, added to someone dear's name**

 **-sama: Respectful suffix, added to a superior's name**

Chapter 1 - More important things to do

The sun was high in the sky. It was hot and there was no light breeze to make the group feel better. Kagome asked Inuyasha to let her down. At the age of 19, she had grown into a beautiful young woman. And she felt the presence of many sinister energies. Three of them, she knew, belonged to Sesshoumaru, his servant, Jaken, and the two-headed dragon Ah-Uh. But the others… She wasn't able to recognize them. The young miko knew they were extremely vicious and carried with them three or four Shikon no Kekara, each one corrupted. Sango commanded Kirara to land so she, Miroku and Shippou could get down.

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

In the meanwhile, a few miles away, the Western Lord smelt something sweet in the air, like sakura. It was vaguely familiar to him, and very pleasing. It was mixed with another scent, though: Inuyasha's. And there were also several youkai heading towards them, no doubt at Naraku's service.

"Jaken…", he said, his voice cold as usual, "Stay with Rin. Some of those wretched creatures might be able to tell me something of value at their dying hour."

As the daiyoukai ran to battle, young Rin tried following him, but was stopped by the kaeru youkai.

"Where do you think you're going, insufferable child?", he scolded, "Sesshoumaru-sama ordered me to stay with you!"

"Then come with me, Jaken-sama.", she replied with a sweet smile, innocent as a child should be, "I want to see Sesshoumaru-sama fight." She hopped onto Ah-Uh's back, who ran away behind their master, followed by a very desperate Jaken.

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

"I can smell them, Kagome!", Inuyasha said, "And something else to… UGHHH! Sesshoumaru! After I'm finished with them, I'll get him!"

"Calm yourself, Inuyasha.", Miroku warned, "Perhaps he can help…"

"Help my ASS! That bastard won't help anyone!", the hanyou raised his voice, "He could very well kill us and then go after the other losers!"

It was then they heard Sesshoumaru's voice, deep and cold: "As attractive as the idea of killing you may sound, hanyou, I have not the time for such foolish a fight."

"Keh! If you were so powerful, you wouldn't have much trouble, eh, you son of a bitch?", Inuyasha continued to provoke his half-brother, but Kagome couldn't stand it any longer. They too had more important things than to worry about than the siblings' fight. She could try to convince the youngest of the two brothers, but she knew he wouldn't listen to her. She then decided to take a drastic measure.

"Inuyasha…", she called, with a sweet tone of voice, attracting the attention of the dog-blooded men, and murmured, "Osuwari…". Inuyasha came crashing down, face first, and started yelling, his voice still muffled.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR, WENCH?"

"Can't you see that we also have other issues than Sesshumaru?", she scolded him, as the daiyokai watched the scene, half amused. The human girl subjugated the half-breed...

He couldn't get his mind off of that sakura scent, so close now, but yet to be identified. He would've focused a little bit more, of course, had his enemies' stench not invaded his senses altogether. The hanyou noticed it too.

"They're here!"

Soon, about twenty youkai, armed with many different kinds of swords. However numerous, they were not very powerful, and wouldn't have presented the two brothers and three humans much trouble, had it not been for a little creature's appearance as soon as the battle began… Rin.

She was cornered against a big rock by a human-looking youkai, but with the size and the claws of a bear. Kagome saw them from the corner of her eye. Neither Sesshoumaru, nor Inuyasha could help her, since they were fighting many youkais at the same time. The miko ran, placing herself between the small child and the large youkai.

"I'm gonna eat the little human for breakfast!", he laughed.

"Not if I can help it!", Kagome replied, firing a holy arrow which hit the demon between the eyes. He fell dead, and she smiled, triumphant. It was time to help her friends. With her bow and arrows, she killed five youkais who surrounded Miroku and Sango. She also killed two from the ones who fought Inuyasha and one of Sesshoumaru's attackers.

The daiyoukai saw from the corner of his eyes everything that had took place. He had been too late to help Rin, but the onna had not. He also saw the powerful arrow she fired, and was… Impressed.

"Kagome-sama! That was… WOW!" Rin giggled and jumped.

"Thank you, Rin-chan.", she smiled kindly.

"What just happened here?" Jaken screeched. He had just arrived, and could hardly breathe. The older human girl opened her mouth to answer, but stopped as she noticed one of their foes on top of the rock. He was the one with the jewel shards: one in his neck, another in his chest and two others in his abdomen.

"Kukuku… Young, fresh meat…" he growled, a cruel smile on his face.

Kagome tried to aim an arrow at him, but wasn't quick enough. He had jumped over the three of them. She pulled Rin behind her and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the impact… Which never came. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Sesshoumaru held their offender by the neck.

"Your hand is right on top of a shard!" she shouted.

"You will tell me where you obtained it, filth." he told the youkai, who tried to wriggle out of Sesshoumaru's grip "Or I shall end your pity excuse for a life right here, right now.

"It was… a…. a hanyou!" the youkai said, between gasps for air "He said we could get more from the girl travelling with the inu hanyou!"

"The only thing you will be getting is permanent stay in the realm of the dead…" the young Lord growled. In one swift move, he broke the neck he had in his claws in two. He dropped the body to the ground and turned to face Kagome with indifference. He could not ignore the fact that she had chosen not to run when she had the chance… so she could protect Rin. "Gather the shards, miko."

She nodded and run for them. When her long, dark hair flew past him, he realized when the sakura scent came from. It was the human girl who now purified the four shards and placed them in the bottle she carried around her neck. She turned to him once more, and blushed.

"Th-thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama." she said as she bowed her head. The inu youkai did not respond, as she raised her head again. He only stared deep into her eyes before turning his own away.

"Jaken…"

"Y-yes, my lord?" the green youkai said, in a low bow. His little body shooked from head to toe.

"I told you to watch over Rin.", he didn't look at his servant, but his voice alone told everyone present he was very much angry.

"It isn't his fault, Sesshoumaru-sama." the little girl said, at the brink of crying "I just… I just wanted to see you fight…"

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of the last youkai being slaughtered by Inuyasha's Tessaiga.

"Kagome! Whacha doing near the bastard?" he yelled.

"Thanking him for SAVING MY LIFE, Inuyasha!", she said, trying to control her temper.

"Shut the hell up! He didn't save your life, Kagome! He'd never save someone like you! He's just trynna get me to owe him!", the hanyou yelled at her. The girl's eyes were beginning to fill with tears. Sesshoumaru's beast growled at the whelp's treatment of his pack. That was not how an alpha should act.

"It doesn't have to be always about you, Inuyasha! Or even about me! I was in front of Rin and, if I died, she would too, so he saved me to save her!", she countered. Her voice trembled a bit, but her words seemed enough

Jaken and Ah-Uh went to follow him, but Rin stayed behind. She smiled up at Kagome, before jumping to her arms.

"Thank you, Kagome-sama."

"You're always welcome, Rin-chan." the young woman replied. "Now, go. Your master will want you to be with him."

"Hai!" the girl said and turned to run after her lord. She then looked back and shouted "Bye-, Kagome-sama!"

Kagome barely had the time to say good-bye as well, before Inuyasha yelled at them all to keep going. She whispered "Thank you once more, Sesshoumaru-sama", knowing the daiyoukai was perfectly able to hear her.

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

The wind carried her whisper and her scent to the Western Lord, and he could but think back to what she had done for Rin that afternoon. He had imagined the miko to be somewhat powerful, yes, but very few humans would defend a child other that their own, and that, he found, was what really impressed him. Hn… Perhaps humans were not so without honor as he had deemed?


	2. Chapter 2 - The early bird catches ()

**AN: Hey there!**

 **I was so, so excited to see that some people have decided this story is worth following and reading. And even more excited about it being marked as "favorite" by some! Thank you so, so much!**

 **Firewolfsky: Thank you for you review and your compliment! I hope you keep loving it!**

 **So, this chapter touches only a part of what I described in the summary, and only a little of it at that.. I plan on developing the plot a bit every chapter, and will try to avoid rushing things.**

 **Anyway, let's get into it. I hope you like it. :)**

 **Hope you like it. 3**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Gomen'asai: "I'm sorry"**

 **Hanyou: Half-demon**

 **Miko: Priestess**

 **Ohayou: "Good morning"**

 **Okaa-chan: An affectioned way to call one's mother**

 **Sakura: Cherry blossom**

 **Youkai: demon**

 **-chan: Affectionate suffix, added to someone dear's name**

 **-sama: Respectful suffix, added to a superior's name**

Chapter 2 - The early bird catches the worm

Two weeks after the battle, in some point of the forest, Kagome searched her nearly empty bag, mumbling to herself "I can't believe it's already over! I was sure I had brought enough!"

"What's the matter, Kagome-chan?" she heard Sango's voice, and soon the older girl kneeled beside her.

"How many ramen cups did I bring with me the last time I went home, Sango-chan?", she asked.

"I don't know… Fifteen?", the taijia offered, "Why?"

"Fifteen! FIFTEEN! How can fifteen cups be already over? Ugh, Inuyasha!" the inu hanyou, who had been watching the horizon in thoughtfulness, felt his ears twitch in pain "How could you eat all the food I brought? It's nearly dinner time, and there's nothing near a good meal we can eat!"

"I was hungry!", he countered.

"Okaa-chan…", Shippou groaned, tugging at the sleeve of Kagome's shirt, "I'm hungry."

"It's ok. I-I think I still have…", she trailed off as she went searching her bag again, until she found what she had been looking for: a cookie package, and the last one at that. She tried so give the kit a sweet smile, but was actually seeing red. How could Inuyasha do that to them? "Here you are, sweetie."

"Thanks, okaa-chan!", the young youkai's eyes shone as he received from his adopted mother the bag filled with the "tasty, round things". He opened it and stared at it, thoughtful. He then extended three cookies to Kagome with the sweetest smile the group had ever seen, "Here, okaa-chan. We can share."

He then proceeded to offer three cookies to Miroku, and then to Sango and to Kirara. It left a grand total of three cookies for himself, which he ate quickly. After they ate their "dinner", if it could even be called that, and decided to go to bed.

Kagome curled herself in her sleeping bag with Shippou. She was still hungry, and knew the boy was too. While older demons and half-demons didn't have to eat nearly as much as humans, younger youkai, like Shippou and Kirara, needed to be fed almost as often as humans. She looked down at the small youkai curled against her chest. She was so proud of him, of what he had done, of who he was becoming... And it made her feel as though something were off. She knew Inuyasha had been lying when he told her he had been hungry. He was just to greedy not to eat. And that worried her. He wasn't at all worried about them… And so, how could they trust him to protect them? How could she trust him to keep his word?

She was sure they couldn't! Their safety was not a priority to him. Not by a long mile.

She still remembered how Sesshoumaru had saved her life. Not because he liked her, but because he put Rin's well-being was so much higher than any fight with Inuyasha. The dog-eared hanyou didn't, though. It had been quite some time since he stopped taking care of their little group. Her thoughts were cut off by Shippou's peaceful sigh. He was now fast asleep, and she was taken by that soft purring right into deep slumber as well.

The next morning, Kagome rose with the sun, and looked around. She saw Shippou still sound asleep, and Miroku, Sango and Kirara next to them, sleeping too. Looking around once more, Inuyasha was nowhere to be found, though. She let out an exasperated sigh, and carefully slipped out of her sleeping bag, careful as not to wake Shippou. If Inuyasha wasn't taking care of them, someone had to, and so she would be the one to do it. She knew she'd be able to provide food, even though she was not much useful for anything else.

She went to a river nearby and, using her bow and arrows, she tried to catch some fish for breakfast. It was hard, and she was so focused on her task she didn't even realize she was being watched by someone.

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

The sun was only rising, and Sesshoumaru left the campsite where his pack rested to fetch Rin something to eat, masking his aura and scent as usual. He didn't think he'd have the time to properly hunt before she woke up, so he made for a river a few miles away.

Upon arriving, he found he hadn't been the only one to have that idea. The hanyou's miko, Kagome if he recalled correctly, was there too. That was odd. She shouldn't be the one to provide. Inuyasha was her alpha, so... Where was the whelp, if not caring for his packmates, nor training them to fend properly for themselves? Because it was obvious enough the girl was fishing for the first time and with no prior instruction.

His alpha instincts kicked in. Even if his brother would never admit it, Sesshoumaru was the elder and, therefore, his alpha.

"Miko...", he spoke, letting his presence known to her. The girl was startled, and the fish she was trying to catch scared. She groaned, before turning to the youkai, doing her best to be respectful.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! What a start you gave me!", she said, and then bowed, "Ohayou."

"Miko…Why are you fetching your pack breakfast?", he asked.

"Uh… Gomen'nasai, I'm not sure I get it.", she offered weakly.

"It is an alpha's duty to provide for the pack. You are not alpha, and yet you are attempting to fish. Where is the half-breed?". Had the hanyou taught his packmate nothing about pack dynamics?

"I-I'm not sure. I woke up and he wasn't at our camp. We're out of food, so I decided to get some breakfast…", she looked down at the small pile of fish and blushed. It was a pathetic attempt at best. "it's not enough, is it?"

He followed her gaze to the pile. It was not much, but apparently she had managed to get enough… For one meal, at least. "Hn… It shall suffice", was all he said before disappearing into the forest.

Kagome quickly gathered her weapons and the fish and went back, but her mind was somewhere altogether. _The duty of an alpha? So it IS true that Inuyasha is not doing what he ought to._ And at that moment, it dawned on her that she was in a very dangerous place, with no ability whatsoever to defend herself, and the one person who had promised to help her, on whom she thought she could rely on, had seemingly given up on her. And she was scared. Miroku and Sango could protect themselves well enough, but she couldn't expect their help. What would become of her and Shippou?

And as she walked back to camp, she felt her eyes filled with tears. She had honored her promise to Inuyasha, but his word didn't seem to be valid any longer. As the miko reached her group's campsite, she was met with one very angry hanyou.

"WHERE THE HELL'VE YOU BEEN, KAGOME?"

"Shhh! You'll end up waking everyone, InuYasha!", she hushed, looking around. Miroku and Sango began to woke up, but luckily it hadn't been enough to rise little Shippou from his slumber. "And for your information, I was looking for FOOD, since we're out of that, because of YOU!"

"What's going on?", Miroku's sleepy voice reached them, "Kagome-sama? Are you all right?"

Kagome sighed. "Yes, Miroku-sama, I'm fine. I just went out to get us some breakfast", she replied, trying her best to smile at her friend. At that time, Sango had already gotten up from her place next to a transformed Kirara.

"You didn't have to, Kagome-chan.", the taijia said, as she ran to relieve the miko from her burden.

"Well, we did need food, and I was already up so...", was all Kagome could say, as she saw her friends start to build up the fire. After a few moments, she tried again, "Don't you want me to cook them?"

"No, Kagome-chan.", Sango replied firmly, "You already went through the trouble to fish it all. It's not fair that you have to do it all by yourself. That's not a responsibility you should have, you know."

She smiled, and the whole alpha thing came back to Kagome's mind. She really needed to talk to someone about it, but none of her friends could be of any help this time. Miroku had little to no knowledge on youkai customs, and Sango could only know so much: she had never tried to understand demons completely while with her family, since their main concern was only to kill them. Kirara and Shippou were much too young, and had not lived long in the company of their kin to know everything they'd need to know. And Inuyasha... Inuyasha'd never admit he was faulting, so even if he did know (and he still had his instincts, right?), he'd not be very useful here.

Also, she would need to expand and deepen her control over her powers, but their friends wouldn't be able to do much, since none of them had powers quite like her own, and Kaede had taught her everything she could: the holy arrows firing and some healing abilities.

No. The miko needed to talk to an older, more responsible, more powerful tutor, but who?

It didn't matter. She would be perfectly able to take care of her feudal family. She needed to be.


	3. Chapter 3 - Shadow of despair

**AN: Hiya!**

 **Sooo, this chapter is a bit long. Longer than the other two, at least. I don't know how long it will actually be online, but maybe we should give it a try, huh? If it turns out too long, I promise I'll calculate it better. If not, I'll try to keep to this length, or even something a bit longer. Who knows, right? LoL**

 **A little headsup! Dark is a bit of an understatement for this chapter. I'm sorry if this bothers you, but it really is necessary for me to start getting some characters where I want them.**

 **I'm so happy to see so many people reading this story already! Honestly, guys, this is absolutely thrilling! *o***

 **Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy this.**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Daiyoukai: Great demon**

 **Inu: Dog**

 **Kami: God, or gods**

 **Kaeru: Frog**

 **Kitsune: Fox**

 **Miko: Priestess**

 **Okaa-chan: An affectioned way to call one's mother**

 **Osuwari: Sit**

 **Onna: Woman-child**

 **Sakura: Cherry blossom**

 **Youkai: Demon**

 **-chan: Affectionate suffix, added to someone dear's name**

 **-sama: Respectful suffix, added to a superior's name**

Chapter 3 - Shadow of despair

Kagome ran through the forest, until she came to a clearing. Where were the others? She had heard their voices, but she couldn't find them. She had only left to find wood as Miroku and Sango went with Kirara to fetch something for dinner, so they couldn't be too far away, could they? She hadn't been able to return home yet since the fish ordeal three weeks before, so they'd been taking turns in fishing or hunting.

And what about Shippou? He had stayed at their campsite with... Inuyasha! He wasn't really worried about the boy's safety, but he wouldn't just LEAVE him all alone. Or that was what she chose to believe.

She had been meditating and training by herself these past few weeks. It was much. It wasn't even enough, not by a long mile. But it was something. She just hoped it'd help her find them now.

The young miko stopped in her tracks and focused hard. She sensed a small group of butterfly youkai nearby; they didn't seem too interested in her. And Sesshoumaru, some miles away. It was the first time the two groups had gotten near in a few weeks, but the daiyoukai didn't seem to care about other beings in the area, but for his own group. There was something, though. Like a shadow. It didn't feel like a youkai, though.

She payed more attention to that presence, and soon realized it was really close. And all of a sudden, it engulfed her.

Opening her eyes, Kagome gasped in horror. Her son's body lay right before her in a pool of blood. How could not have seen it there? She started panicking. What had happened there? She looked to her side and saw Miroku and Kirara as well. Lastly she saw Sango, and realized she was still alive, if only barely. She ran to her friend.

"Sango, Sango!", she cried out as she placed her friend's head to her lap, "What happened here? Who did this?"

"I-Inuyasha. Inuyasha attacked us. We tried to defend ourselves, but he is too strong.", her weak whisper was barely enough for Kagome to hear. "He said we weren't of any use anymore, and he didn't have to take care of us anymore."

"B-but why? Why did he attack you?"

And then, Sango's voice disappeared. Her mouth was still moving, and she was still looking at Kagome, but the voice which came out was no longer hers. "Because YOU are not capable of taking care of anyone. YOU are not good enough to protect those you love." The voice was harsh, deep and beast-like. And as it spoke, Sango's face contorted into a feral grin and evil, dark eyes. Kagome tried to back away, tears rolling down her face, but was soon surrounded by Miroku and Shippou as well, all with that same expression. Their mouths moved together, but only the harsh voice was heard. "You shall watch all of them DIE!"

The young miko was sobbing hard. She didn't want to, she couldn't believe her friends and her son were dead because of her. She wanted to close her eyes, to look away and escape that sight, but she couldn't.

Then, a flash of white.

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

Sesshoumaru walked through the forest, followed closely by Jaken, Ah-Un and Rin. He could sense his half-brother nearby with the kitsune, the neko a little to the east and the miko to the west. He felt a shadow move past him, and heard Jaken's voice.

"Oh, my lord! Forgive me! I tried to protect her, but I could do nothing to save the girl! I am such a disgrace!" The kaeru cried and sobbed, as he bowed low.

The daiyoukai was slightly taken aback. Rin was safe just a few feet away, so what could he possibly mean? The young lord looked back only to see his servant covered by a black cloud of sorts, and Rin starting to panick. He felt Tenseiga pulse at his side and unsheathed it. _Show me what you will, Tenseiga._

His eyes widened slightly. The sight he was met with was something he had never seen before. If it was a youkai, he couldn't sense it. Only... Shadow. He still saw the black cloud, but now it has a face of its own. A hideous and monstrous face. Tenseiga pulsed again and Sesshoumaru slashed the figure, which disappeared. He looked down at Jaken, and Rin ran towards him.

"Jaken-sama, are you ok?", she asked, visibly shaken by the kaeru's screams. Sesshoumaru half expected him to snap at the girl, and was prepared to react properly to that. Not to what really happened, though.

"You-you are ALIVE, girl! How? I-I saw your body! It was beyond the Tenseiga's aid!". Jaken looked at her head to toe. He then raised his gaze to his master and vowed low again. "My LOOORD! I didn't fail you, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"No, Jaken.", the inu youkai sighed inwardly. Whatever had just taken place, Jaken didn't need him to snap or be sarcastic. His servant needed his comfort, and he'd never turn his back on his pack's need. "You have done your duty. Rin is perfectly safe."

"Oh, thank Kami!", the kaeru youkai cried out and threw his arms up in relief.

"What did you see?", Sesshoumaru asked him dryly.

"I-I saw the girl's body, my lord. I don't know how or why, a-and then she woke up and said it was all my fault, a-and her face became something terribly evil, my lord.", Jaken replied weakly. He shook at the bare memory.

Sesshoumaru was about to inquire him further when he felt the miko's disturbed aura. If he could feel it at this distance, Inuyasha could definitely feel it too, as he was even closer to her on the opposite direction, still the half-breed did nothing to help his packmate! The whelp really ought to learn a lesson on duty! Sesshoumaru's beast growled as his alpha instincts kicked in. He told his companions "I'll be back shortly. Jaken, watch over me. Don't... Fail me." The corners of his mouth turned up at the kaeru's shocked gasp at his... "Joke". And he ran towards the human onna, the Sakura scent he knew to be hers filling his senses. He could also sense the same shadow there.

Upon arriving, he saw her standing, covered by the same black cloud. In one swift move, he slashed through it again, and it disappeared, the same way it did before. He doubted it was dead, and decided to look into the issue as soon as possible.

Right now, though, he had another pressing matter to see to: the miko. He knew that, being the half-breed's alpha, he had a responsibility of sorts towards his brother's packmates, but he wasn't sure of exactly why he felt it so much stronger when the human girl was concerned. Perhaps because she herself tried to be alpha, even though she didn't have the means nor the knowledge? That too he would have to look into later on.

As soon as the cloud vanished, Kagome fell to the ground, and would've hit it hard, had it not been for Sesshoumaru. She felt an utmost sense of failure for having allowed her friends to die, and lost to be in a world other than her own without them. All she could do was cry and sob quietly, because she couldn't find her voice anymore. She clung to the haori of whoever it was that was holding her, and kept sobbing.

Sesshoumaru let a soft growl rumble through his chest. His intent was to calm her, as was the way of the inu. He failed. She was startled by the vibration and pulled away.

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama…", she greeted him, her voice shaky. Her eyes were still filled with tears, and she tried to hold back a few sobs, to no avail. "I-I couldn't. I wasn't g-good enough…"

"What did you see?", Sesshoumaru asked. Kagome sobbed hard again.

"All… All dead. All my fault.", was her answer, as she burst in tears once more. "It was all my fault."

By this time, Inuyasha came into the clearing, swinging the Tessaiga hard. Kagome turned to see him and backed away, until she felt the daiyoukai's armor against her body. "D-don't come any closer. How COULD you?", she cried.

"Wacha doin' here, bastard? Get away from her!", Inuyasha ignored her completely as he barged at his half-brother. Kagome wanted answers, even if she knew she'd hate both them and herself for looking for them. She let out a piercing scream, barely intelligible.

"OOOOOOOOOOOSUWAAAAAAAARIIIIIII!" Inuyasha stopped mid-air and fell to the floor, hitting it face first. Sesshoumaru felt as though his ears would just explode, and cringed inwardly. The scream attracted someone else's attention too.

"Okaa-chan!", it was Shippou's voice. Kagome stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes shut tight. Could she be hallucinating? She opened one eye to see her kit running to her. She dropped to her knees. He hugged her tight, and all she could do was stay still, motionless. Tears ran down her face.

"S-sesshoumaru-sama?", she called softly. Shippou looked up, taking notice of the daiyoukai's presence for the first time. The Western Lord just made a "hn" to acknowledge the girl. "I-is Shippou… Is my son really here? He's alive?"

"Indeed, miko. He is."

It was all she needed to hug the kitsune tightly. "I-I thought I'd lost you! I thought y-you were d-dead!"

Inuyasha watched the whole exchange dumbstruck, What the hell? "Oy, Kagome! What the hell is goin' on here?" Kagome looked up at her companion, but remained silent. She wasn't even sure what had happened. She couldn't just have hallucinated, could she? She was spared the doubts by none other than Sesshoumaru.

"It seems there is something in this area. Even you must have sensed it, little brother."

"What d'ya mean?", he asked angrily.

"It feels like a shadow… Doesn't it?", Kagome asked, ignoring the hanyou.

"It does", the daiyoukai answered.

"And…", the miko sighed, "it causes hallucinations, doesn't it?"

"Hn", he nodded in response.

"Care to fill me in, Kagome? Or are you just gonna chitty chat with Ice Prick over there?" Inuyasha was becoming really annoyed. Kagome sighed again and stood up, Shippou still wrapped in her arms.

"I had a vision. I saw Shippou, Kirara, Miroku and Sango on the floor, all dead but Sango. But even she was too weak, and badly wounded. She told me you'd killed them bec…", she stopped mid-sentence before changing her mind. "They all stood up and started haunting me."

"Keh… And what does the bastard have to do with it, wench?"

"Could you PLEASE just STOP insulting everyone? Then maybe I might be able to understand what's happened and tell you!", Kagome nearly yelled. Then, turning to his older half-brother "I'm sorry about that, Sesshoumaru-sama." When the inu daiyoukai acknowledged her apologies with a short nod, she went on "So, I'm assuming you were the one who stopped this… Shadow. Is that right?"

Another nod.

The miko sighed. "Has it happened to anyone else, or was it just me?"

"Jaken has been affected too."

"Ok… So it wan't just me. That's good… I guess…", she muttered to herself. Of course, both inu could hear her, but she chose to ignore that. "Any idea on what that thing was?"

"No." he paused. It didn't seem worth his breath to explain himself. The look on the miko's face almost broke his resolve, but then he was reminded that his idiotic half-brother was standing a few feet away, too shocked to say anything. The shock seemed to be wearing off by now, though, as Inuyasha started to scream obscenities. Sesshoumaru looked at the onna once more, turned and was about to walk away when he heard the girl's voice.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" He glanced back at her. She had set her kit to the ground and now had her head bowed. "This is the second time you've helped me now, though you didn't have to. Thank you."

"Hn", was all he said before leaving.


	4. Chapter 4 - Too many questions for so

**Hello, pumpkins!**

 **Fourth chapter and counting! Yay!**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Wow! LoL Thanks! I want to see where it goes too, to be honest with you. I have some ideas, but not the whole picture, you know? I guess we'll find out together. :)**

 **So, this chapter is Sesshoumaru-heavy. Haha. And it gets a little dark as well, BUT IT'S A JUST LITTLE BIT! I swear. :)**

 **Now, there's a little Easter egg somewhere around here. Ok, maybe it's not that small: it happens over almost all of the flashback here.**

 **The first person to send me a PM, saying what it is and where I took it from will get to have a glimpse on a later chapter. Sounds good or nah?**

 **Also this chapter is a few steps closer to our objectives around here. I hope you enjoy. :)**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Aoki: Tree**

 **Daiyoukai: Great demon**

 **Hanyou: Half-demon**

 **Inu: Dog**

 **Kage: Shadow**

 **Kaeru: Frog**

 **Kami: God, or gods**

 **Kasai: Fire**

 **Kitsune: Fox**

 **Kumo: Spider**

 **Miko: Priestess**

 **Neko: Cat**

 **Seppuku: Also known as harakiri, it is a suicide ritual in the samurai code of honor. (If you pay attention to Sesshoumaru's attire and swords, he is clearly a samurai lord.)**

 **Okaa-chan: An affectioned way to call one's mother**

 **Shikon no Tama: Jewel of the Four Souls**

 **Taijyia: Demon slayer**

 **Tantou: Traditional Japanese short blade. It was used, among other purposes, for the seppuku ritual.**

 **Youkai: Demon**

 **Youki: Demonic energy**

Chapter 4 - Too many questions for so few answers

The energy cloud was not one of Sesshoumaru's favorite means of transport. He much preferred walking, or his youki sphere. However, the first was much too slow and the second… Well, after the shadow incident, he didn't feel like leaving his pack behind. Jaken had recovered well, but the daiyoukai was not to risk Rin to be caught by something like that… Whatever it was.

Also, he needed Jaken around to give an exactly accurate report of the attack. The more details the kaeru provided, the more his source would be able to say on the matter.

That was precisely why they were travelling south now. It was bad enough he had to deal with some filth like Naraku. Oh, yes, he knew the kumo hanyou was trouble. He wasn't one to lie to himself, as he thought it to be a waste of his time and a stain to his honor. Sesshoumaru never lied. Never. Including the spider. As it was, he already was a peril to the young lord, his pack and his lands, and Sesshoumaru would not suffer another threat to his domain.

So, he intended to find whatever he could about that shadow which had attacked Jaken and the miko. He had no idea what that could be. He remembered nothing on the matter from his lessons as a pup, nor from his researches when he claimed lordship over the West after his father's death. It was something neither the best tutors in Japan, nor his father, nor all the rolls in the Western Palace had been able to tell him. He would need to seek Bokusenou, then. The ancient aoki youkai would have, at some point of his over-2000-year life, something about this matter. Or so Sesshoumaru hoped.

He kept playing what he already knew on this shadow in his mind. The first two encounters with the damned thing had been strange to say the least. The third one, though… Even he had to admit that had been something else.

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

 _Sesshoumaru's pack had been walking along a road on the border of the Western Lands. He rarely did that, and he didn't have much of a reason for doing so now, except what his instincts told him. Jaken followed closely behind him - too closely for his taste and the kaeru's safety - while Rin played and jumped around. Ah-Uh was at the rear. They were still a few hours away from their destination, a small youkai village where one of Sesshoumaru's troops, the best trained one, was located._

 _The inu lord stopped in his tracks when he felt it. Energy. Neither demon, nor human. Just shadowy energy. And right above his people and his troops. He picked up speed, as his instincts demanded he do something to protect those youkai, and ran towards the village. At this pace, he would get there within two to three hours. He growled. It still wasn't fast enough._

 _Knowing Ah-Un would carry Rin and Jaken and follow him, he concentrated his youki. His form was engulfed in intense light as his silhouette was reduced to an energy sphere._

 _Upon landing, Sesshoumaru was assaulted by many different scents. Blood. Death. Fear. Regret. Despair. This was clearly very recent, as the blood lay fresh around the bodies, fallen all over the place. He walked to one of them, which was facing down, and turned it carefully. He recognized the village's elder, a very old rabbit demoness. His eyes descended from her face to the rest of her body to try and learn the cause of death. He soon found it out, though, as he saw a whole in her chest, where her heart should be. He didn't have the time to wonder on who would have murdered the entire village, as he saw her heart clutched in the elder's hand._ So… Suicide _, he wondered to himself._

 _The inu daiyoukai's ears twitched at the sound of weeping, and so very weak. There was still at least one living youkai around here, who apparently lay around a corner. It was his general, Uijo, and upon his head, the shadow, just like Sesshoumaru had seen before. His sobs were both silent and hard, shaking all of the general's body._

 _The lord grabbed the hilt of his father's sword as he felt it pulse at his side. He cut through the shadow and it disappeared. Uijo, however, didn't stop. His back shook violently at each sob, and he reeked of utter despair. His light brown hair, usually in a neat ponytail, was pooled around his body. He smelled strongly of blood._

" _Uijo", Sesshoumaru called. The youkai stopped at once, but didn't look up. The general seemed frozen, and Sesshoumaru smelled fear._

" _That's a ghost! The spirit of my lord that comes to take his just revenge upon me!", Uijo spoke weakly. "I tried, my lord. I tried. Forgive your general, please! I was not strong or skilled enough to…"_

" _Uijo, look up.", Sesshoumaru's strong voice commanded. When Uijo looked up, he gasped._

" _S-Sesshoumaru-sama? Is that really you, my lord? You have not fallen in battle against the North?"_

" _I have not." Sesshoumaru looked hard at his general. "What did you see?"_

" _I-I don't understand, Sesshoumaru-sama."_

" _I am alive and well. No battle against the North has taken place." he paused "What did you see that made you believe all of that?"_

" _I saw-I saw the village burning, my lord. I saw our troops dead. I was too late to deliver their orders, and now they were all dead… Jaken-sama and… And… Oh, kami, young Rin-sama as well! It was my fault. All my f…" he was stopped by a violent cough, spilling blood. He was struggling for air, and Sesshoumaru knew "All my fault. And then I went searching for you, my lord, and I arrived just in time to see you surrounded by the Northern court, and…" Uijo's breath was really faulting him now. He wouldn't be for long "Right before you died at their hands, you looked up at me, but you were not quite yourself, Sesshoumaru-sama. Your face…"_

" _My face was distorted in a monstrous smile?", Sesshoumaru completed Uijo's thought for him._

" _Yes, and suddenly all had the same smile as well."_

" _Did we speak to you?"_

" _Yes. You were the first to talk, my lord, but your voice was not as it is now. And suddenly, all others were speaking too, only with the same voice you did." Uijo spoke weakly now. He moved a bit, and Sesshoumaru was finally able to see the tantou stuck in his armor._ So, he has tried to rid himself of the dishonour _, he thought. Sesshoumaru grabbed the hilt of Tenseiga, but there were no soul-bearers for it to cut. Uijo was beyond the fang's aid._

" _Uijo, you have not failed me. You may rest in peace."_

 _And so, the general lowered his head and closed his eyes, never to raise it or open them again._

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

Kagome stomped through the forest. She was angry, all right. Very. Angry. She had to go fishing again. It had been going for two weeks already! Why couldn't InuYasha just let her go home to get supplies, if he wasn't going to help them fish or hunt?

Shippou tried to help her with his tricks, and it made things a bit easier, with him being so good at catching everyone off their guard. Still, she had spent a good hour and a half trying to catch enough fish for the next three days. Or that was how long she hoped they'd last before someone had to go fishing again. If she had only five mouths to feed, they'd be good. If InuYasha decided he was hungry, though, she'd need to fish again tomorrow morning. She was lucky enough when she got to their camping, though. At least in some way. InuYasha was nowhere to be seen.

"He's gone again?" Kagome asked Sango. He had been doing that for about ten days now: disappearing before dinner and showing up again at dawn.

"Yeah", the taijiya answered, as she and Miroku got back from gathering wood for the fire.

"He shouldn't be back for some time.", Miroku added.

"That'll give us the time to cook hide it all before he comes, right, Okaa-chan?"

"Yeah, right." the miko answered quietly, as they sat the two baskets down so Kagome could clean the fish. She hated to feel as though they were lying and, worse still, hiding something as food from InuYasha. But when she had talked to Miroku about it some days prior, he had reminded her of why they had started doing it: InuYasha had been stealing food from them.

She was yanked out of her line of thought by Shippou's giggles, as he went to poke Kirara's tails, who had laid down to a corner. The kasai neko's warning growl was halfhearted at best, as she prepared to pounce. At that moment, the young kitsune giggled uncontrollably as they ran about the campsite.

"Well, at least someone's in a good mood", she said, smiling at the two young youkai and their antics. It was a good thing that they got along so well too. That way, Shippou would keep from annoying InuYasha, who would snap at anyone for talking about anything other than shard hunting and Naraku these days. She sighed. She really missed when she could talk to him.

As Sango and Miroku cooked the fish, Kagome stored everything inside the pots she had once used to cook their ramen, setting some aside for their dinner and gave it away. Once they were sat, she fell back into thought, this time pondering on another matter that had concerned her greatly: that shadow thing.

She was still worried about that. She feared what else it might do, and she feared to see that same vision again. She also wanted to know what it was and how to fight it. But since it had nothing directly to do with the Shikon no Tama, she was afraid of even mentioning it. InuYasha wouldn't hear about it, and she hadn't wanted to tell any of the others, as to avoid scaring them.

The one time she did mention it was two days after the whole ordeal. His answer had been in the lines of "Screw that! What really matters is why the hell you were talkin' to that bastard! Are ya plotting with our enemy behind my back or somethin' like that?" Kagome scoffed at that memory. _Going behind his back! Well, he's one to talk!_ , she said angrily to herself. _And we have to pretend we don't know anything about him seeing Kikyou nearly every night because…?_

She wondered, not for the first time since the shadow incident, if Sesshoumaru had looked into the subject. And not for the first time, she hoped they would meet with him, so she could ask. He might have learned something. He might know how to deal with that thing… Right?


	5. Chapter 5 - A mission for Sesshoumaru-sa

**AN: Hello, hello!**

 **Wow! I must say I'm absolutely overwhelmed to see this fic's had over 500 views! I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it!**

 **This chapter was a bit of a struggle to get out. And getting a… Well, I'm not exactly sure what kind of virus it is, but it certainly has NOT helped. I'm still not completely fine, but I'm on the mend right now. :)**

 **So, this chapter goes a little dark, but it'll be over soon. For now, I'm just trying to show Sessho-kun and all of you guys why the shadow deserves our attention.**

 **That's why there will be very little Kagome in this chapter, but we'll see her in action next time, I promise.**

 **There's a LOT of information on this chapter and now we have most of the plot set, so I'll leave it a little shorter, 'kay?**

 **One more thing. Do you think it's been getting too dark for a T-rated fic? Should I change it to M? Tell me what you think.**

 **Enjoy and, if you have anything you'd like to say, just leave a review. :)**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Aoki: Tree**

 **Daiyoukai: Great demon**

 **Hanyou: Half-demon**

 **Inu: Dog**

 **Kage: Shadow**

 **Kitsune: Fox**

 **Konchu: Insect**

 **Miko: Priestess**

 **Neko: Cat**

 **Ookami: Wolf**

 **Shikon no Tama: Jewel of the Four Souls**

 **Youkai: Demon**

 **-sama: Respectful suffix, added to a superior's name**

Chapter 5 - A mission for Sesshoumaru-sama

After hiding the cooked fish in her yellow backpack, Kagome tucked herself in her sleeping bag and Shippou next to her as Miroku erected a barrier around their campsite. She had done it yesterday, so it was his turn; they had been alternating since InuYasha had first started running off. She could now feel InuYasha's aura nearby, and looked over at Miroku. He had felt it too. She nodded at him, as Shippou snuggled closer to her and sighed. He fell asleep within minutes, and the miko watched as her friends did the same.

She, on the other hand, laid awake for what looked like forever. She didn't feel… Safe. She couldn't pinpoint what this feeling was, but there was something.

The miko was finally beginning to doze off when her eyes widened. What was that aura? A… A scorpion?

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

Sesshoumaru landed on the border of Bokusenou's forest and began entering the aoki youkai's domains. The sun had but just sunk in thee horizon, so his pack could go a little further into the woods without trouble. The daiyoukai meant to finish his conversation with the tree before the sun rose again and felt that it would be a long conversation.

He procured a clearing for Rin to rest in and set to meet the ancient youkai. The lack of creatures in the area was not strange to him: rarely did Bokusenou allow the inhabitants of his forest to come close to Sesshoumaru and his companions.

Bokusenou's aura was a little further in the woods, and Sesshoumaru could hear the ancient demon's voice as he walked. "Welcome, Sesshoumaru-sama, son of the great Touga-sama. I assume you come to me with a request of great importance?"

Upon arriving to the clearing where resided the ancient aoki youkai, Sesshoumaru gazed him in the eyes for a moment before nodding and answering. "Bokusenou. What is it that you know about shadows?"

"Shadows, Sesshoumaru-sama? I apologize, but I might need more information than that, I'm afraid."

"Hn" Sesshoumaru paused for a moment. Of course he knew the tree would need more, but he didn't have the habit of explaining himself. "Very well", and started the tale of his meetings with the shadow. When he was finished, Bokusenou seemed to be deep in thought.

"Kage…" the tree muttered "So it has returned."

"Speak plainly, elder." Sesshoumaru ordered.

"Kage is a spirit, even more ancient than me. It has no aura, but it can be felt as a shadow-y presence. It is rumoured to feed off fear, despair and sorrow, and obtains them through engulfing another being in its form and showing some of their biggest fears, becoming stronger from its victims' pain. As you could see, it will only cease its attack when it has nothing else to gain." Bokusenou paused for a moment, before going on. "Kage has been rumoured to be missing for over 5000 years. Yours is the first report of it to reach my ears in all this time."

There was another pause, longer this time, to which Sesshoumaru merely raised his eyebrows.

"Perhaps, Sesshoumaru-sama, you will allow me a report of my own?"

"If it is useful, speak" was the inu lord's response.

"Very well… I was perhaps 200 years old, when I last knew of Kage. I do not say hear, because I saw it. I had just learned how to hide myself inside my bark, and did not hold at the time the same power over the forest as I do now. It was filled with different youkai… Inu, kitsune, ookami, neko, konchu… And then I felt something I had never felt before: shadow. And the youkai most distant from me started crying and screaming.

"I hid myself right in time, because it had arrived to this very clearing and covered all the youkai here. They started screaming as well, and the sound was close to unbearable, so loud and agonizing. I started dropping branches and fruits on the youkai's head, but to no use. The shadow did not move.

"Then, they started killing themselves. Some cut their own hearts out, others started throwing themselves head first against me. I went even deeper inside my bark, and remained there a few hours before the screams started dying out. When I looked again, Kage was no longer here, and all the youkai were dead.

"You see, Seshoumaru-sama… Kage is never in haste. It takes its time with its attacks, and most of the times, the attack only ends with death, usually self-inflicted. This very much describes what must have happened in the village you found."

"Indeed."

"Sesshoumaru-sama… It attacked the guardian of the Shikon no Tama, you say?", Bokusenou raised his eyebrows as a thought seemed to occur to him.

"Hn."

"It is possible that Kage will try harder to get a hold on her, specially if it is trying to engulf the jewel." one more pause, and Sesshoumaru was about to press for further information when the tree spoke again. "Through the jewel, Kage would have access to the minds of Midoriko and the youkai she fights inside. Beings of great power, who can still suffer, but who cannot take their own lives."

"Hn. If they could die, that would've happened a lifetime ago", the young lord completed the ancient tree's thought.

"Indeed, Sesshoumaru-sama" the aoki nodded, "And I'm afraid that Kage won't stop even at that. Its hunger is ever growing and, worse, through the Shikon no Tama, it would have power to swallow all the land and every soul in it."

"Any rumours on how to kill Kage?" was the last piece missing to Sesshoumaru's puzzle.

"Not until tonight, Sesshoumaru-sama. Your honorable father's sword" Bokusenou used a branch to point to the Tenseiga "seems to have an effect on it. Perhaps… Yes, yes. Perhaps the Tenseiga has some power unknown to us."

Sesshoumaru lowered his eyes to the sword left by his father, turned around and left. He would need to speak to Toutousai about it, and he would also need to track his half-brother down. Naraku alone was quite troublesome, but the lord was powerful enough to defeat the spider when the time came. This Kage, however, he didn't even know how to fight it. Or what it was. He could delay it, yes, and that was why he now needed to make sure it took as long as possible to find the Shikon no Tama. Growling to himself, he couldn't help but being slightly annoyed. _You are a greater nuiscance than I had ever foreseen, half-breed. Why can't you just do your job?_


	6. Chapter 6 - Making plans

**AN: Hey! Chapter 6 on, everybody!**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: If he doesn't have fun, we sure will. LoL**

 **minicakes: Thanks! :)**

 **Wow! Almost 800 views to date! This is so amazing!**

 **Thank you so much, everyone! I hope you like this next chapter!**

 **Well, this is the first time we're gonna meet someone for the first time. Let's see what's on his mind, shall we?**

 **Another short, but extremely important chapter. I'll keep this up for a few more chapters, so I can end all of them right where and how I want. :)**

 **Enjoy, read and review. 3**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Hanyou: Half-demon**

 **Hebi: Snake**

 **Kage: Shadow**

 **Kitsune: Fox**

 **Kumo: Spider**

 **Miko: Priestess**

 **Sasori: Scorpion**

 **Shikon no Tama: Jewel of the Four Souls**

 **Youkai: Demon**

 **-sama: Respectful suffix, added to a superior's name**

Chapter 6 - Making plans

A wicked smile spread over the face watching the mirror, as it showed the sasori youkai approaching InuYasha's campsite. He knew the pup was off, and this was his chance to get the group off their guard. And soon, the shards that foolish girl carried would be his.

But now that his plan was set in motion, he didn't feel like watching it. Kanna had mentioned she had seen something odd a few days ago. A huge shadow, she had said, covered a village. He had delayed it so far, but perhaps now that his plan to get the shards was in motion, he could go back to that matter.

"Kanna" he called to the mirror bearer, the void demon. She raised her blank eyes to him.

"Yes, Naraku-sama?", she asked in the same cold voice she always used. _Gee_ , Naraku thought to himself, _I'm a heartless bastard, but at least I feel SOMETHING._ It was slightly creepy. Useful as hell, sure: he could control her completely, order her around, and no will of her own, no sense of honor or guilty, would ever get in the way. Yes, yes, very useful. But creepy nonetheless. Still, he smiled wickedly for having such a minion to help him get his way.

"The shadow you mentioned the other day. I'm ready to see it now."

The girl blinked as the mirror blurred before focusing again, this time on some point north, where a small, isolated hut lay between the mountains. No light came from its windows, indicating that its inhabitants were probably asleep. Then, further shadow came, and night became even darker over the hut.

Naraku heard noises, much like rustling, and then a woman came running through the door. He recognized her form: a hebi youkai he had tricked into helping him once. Yukiko, if he remembered correctly. _That was a good one_ , the kumo smirked to himself.

The smirk faded away when his attention turned once again to what the mirror displayed. Yukiko was sobbing hard, looking around, her head covered by the shadow. She was cowering in fear, her face distorted.

Naraku's eyes widened slightly when he saw her run towards a cliff and jump. He had allowed her to live because she still had her uses, and, well, he guessed that was as much use she would have now.

This shadow, on the other hand… Its uses were numerous, and Naraku couldn't wait to have a taste of its power. The kumo needed to lure the shadow in. The rest would be easy once that was done. Yes, he might have just the plan for it. It would need just a little preparation too.

"Kanna…"

"Yes, Naraku-sama?"

"Get Kagura."

"Yes, Narau-sama."

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

Sesshoumaru was flying once again. Rin was sleeping on top of Ah-Uh's back with Jaken. Bokusenou was a most reliable source of information. Having expected next to nothing on Kage, he now knew much more than he had anticipated. And he now could form a plan of action based on what the tree had told him.

First thing he needed now was to be sure that the Shikon no Tama was well protected. Which he knew was not. So, that would mean being around. Ugh, having to live with InuYasha would be hell on earth. Specially since he would need to somehow gain the others' trust before imposing his authority as alpha. It would do no good to lead a group of useless brats who didn't even want his help, but he had to be close to nonetheless.

 _At least I don't have to start from zero_ , he thought to himself. The miko Kagome didn't seem to oppose to his presence that much the last times he had encountered her. _And with the miko accepting this Sesshoumaru's leadership, the kitsune is sure to follow._

That drove him to another train of thought entirely, as he thought about what he knew on the boy. He was young, much too young to be on his own. But he had strength in him. Yes, if Sesshoumaru got to spend some time with him, the kit would be trained and, so, become a way of making sure the packs' union wasn't permanent. No one wanted that.

He was now approaching the area where he knew his brother was camped in, and what he saw upon landing made his eyes slightly wide.


	7. Chapter 7 - A busy night

**AN: Hello, guys! How has everyone's week been?**

 **O-M-G! Over 1000 views! Thank you so much, everyone! I hope you're enjoying this fic as much as I am!**

 **So, Carnival came and went, and although I did take the time to write, I didn't get as many chapters out as I would've hoped. BUT I did get the fic plan on, and I'm very excited about what I have in mind for this story.**

 **Next Monday is my first day back to college, and I have some expectations for this term. Hopefully, I'll be able to get everything done AND keep posting once a week. I promise I'll do my best.**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: There you have it! I must admit, your reviews always make me smile! You're too sweet! Haha**

 **Aaand Kagome's back! Just so you remember, in case you don't, last time we saw her, she had just felt an aura coming close. Let's see what she is going to do about it, huh?**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Daiyoukai: Great demon**

 **Hanyou: Half-demon**

 **Inu: Dog**

 **Kaeru: Frog**

 **Kitsune: Fox**

 **Miko: Priestess**

 **Okaa-chan: An affectioned way to call one's mother**

 **Onna: Woman-child**

 **Sasori: Scorpion**

 **Shikon no Tama: Jewel of the Four Souls**

 **Youkai: Demon**

Chapter 7 - A busy night

Kagome looked around frantically. She couldn't expect Miroku and Sango to help her: they were exhausted! And InuYasha was out of the question! So the miko did all she could: she got up from her sleeping bag in haste, hiding the bottle with jewel shards next to Shippou and walked away from the camp. She stopped at the edge of the clearing where they had set their camping and erected a barrier around her friends.

That would keep them from harm and also keep the youkai from getting the shards. It didn't seem a very powerful youkai. It wasn't like it wouldn't be a problem, though. Kagome knew she was poorly trained, and that made her an easy prey. But that didn't mean she couldn't make the sasori's life a little bit more difficult.

So, the young miko raised her hands in preparation and directed her holly energy to her hands. Not ten seconds later, she heard the evil bastard running towards her. It was a huge scorpion, its body all black and brown. It had red markings on its head, claws and tail, and looked at her as though it were going to eat her. She jumped to the side and let it hit the barrier face first.

Kagome turned on her heels and ran towards her ofender, her hands outstretched in front of her. She managed to purify one of the sasori's claws before getting hit by the tail. Kagome flew against a tree as the beast screeched in pain. She got back to her feet, panting. That hadn't been as bad as she had anticipated. Luckily, it didn't seem like the sasori was trying to poison her. Perhaps it was trying to tire her so she would give the shards more easily?

Well, the joke was on it, because she was ready to attack again. She breathed in and ran again, this time aiming at the other claw. It would be easier to defeat it if she had nothing to worry about but the tail, which was also the hardest part to purify, so she had decided to work her way to it.

When she touched the remaining claw, however, she was pierced on her side by the tail, and felt its poison burning inside of her. She groaned in pain, and noticed that breathing becomes more of a challenge now. She didn't know how long she had before passing out, but knew it must not be much time.

The sasori youkai stepped away from her, as preparing for the final blow, and so was the miko. She knew it was her last chance, and guessed it must feel the same by now. _I need to be quick then_ , she thought to herself. She summoned all of her powers to her hands. The corner of her aura warned her that there was something else coming closer, three more auras. She didn't have the time to focus on any of them now, so she braced herself for a great deal of pain, which she knew would come with the impact.

The sasori jumped on top of her and aimed the tail in the middle of her chest. Kagome was quick enough to touch it just before it pierced through her ribcage. The demon screeched once again as it was purified. The girl didn't stop until it had completely vanished, and then breathed in relief.

Of course, she now felt the pain on her side without any distraction and also noticed the blood she had lost. _This is bad_ , she thought absentmindedly. But there was nothing for it.

The three auras were now very, very close. They were demonic, that much she could tell, and they were slightly familiar, though she couldn't quite place them as dark started claiming the corners of her eyes. The last thing she saw before passing out was a blur of white approaching her.

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

Sesshoumaru landed on a clearing close to where his half-brother's pack was and stretched his aura over his surroundings. _Oh, I'll be damned_ , he thought angrily to himself. Apparently, a sasori youkai was too close to the onna and the hanyou was nowhere near heer. He was actually about 10 miles away in the opposite direction. The whelp truly was useless, wasn't he?

The daiyoukai looked back and nodded to Jaken, who nodded his understanding, before running towards the girl. He was a little bit worried. Not that he would say that out loud, of course. But her aura screamed of pain, and he could smell blood. He had one or two hypothesis about why hers was the only blood he could smell.

He dodged her barrier and saw her purifying the youkai he had sensed before. As he expected, she was alone, and looking around, he saw her companions fast asleep on the other side of the spiritual frontier she had built. The young lord knelt down beside her as she lost conscience. Looking up, he was surprised to see the barrier still shining with a bright pink. _To keep a barrier even unconscious..._ , he thought to himself looking down to her face. _And the sasori wasn't so despicable a demon for humans to fight either, and she defeated it on her own. Hn. She is more powerful than I anticipated._

Jaken arrived with Ah-Uh and a sleeping Rin to find their lord working on a gash on the miko's side.

"Seshoumaru-sama!", the kaeru yelled upon seeing his lord . The inu daiyoukai merely looked at him before looking back to the task at hand. It was quite deep a wound, and the poison had started acting.

"Okaa-chan?", a small voice whined almost airly. So the pack was starting to stir back into wakefulness. And of course the kit HAD to be the first one. This could complicate things if he were to save the guardian of the Shikon no Tama.


	8. Chapter 8 - Pack dynamics

**AN: Hello, all of you beautiful people!**

 **Sorry for the delay, guys! These past two weeks were a bit weird, as college was starting all over. Also, I struggled with this chapter for a while. Anyway, enough with the excuses!**

 **MirrorFlower and DrakWind: Here's more! *-***

 **In our last chapter, Kagome had blacked out after defeating the scorpion demon, and Sesshoumaru had just arrived to the scene. She's got a wound on her side, and now poison is running through her veins. What will happen now?**

 **I hope you enjoy this and, please, tell me what you think! :)**

 **I expect to get the next chapter up in a week or two, so bear with me and we'll see this to the end. \o/**

 **Much love.**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Daiyoukai: Great demon**

 **Gomen'asai: "I'm sorry"**

 **Hai: Yes**

 **Hanyou: Half-demon**

 **Houshi: Monk**

 **Inu: Dog**

 **Kaeru: Frog**

 **Kami: God, or gods**

 **Miko: Priestess**

 **Okaa-chan: An affectioned way to call one's mother**

 **Onna: Woman-child**

 **Sasori: Scorpion**

 **Shikon no Tama: Jewel of the Four Souls**

 **Taijyia: Demon slayer**

 **Youkai: Demon**

 **-chan: Affectionate suffix, added to someone dear's name**

 **-sama: Respectful suffix, added to a superior's name**

Chapter 8 - Pack dynamics

Sesshoumaru just was not in the mood for a havoc, so he had to act quickly. The miko's wound was open and bleeding, and the youkai's poison was running through her veins at that very moment. He knew one way to solve these two problems at the same time, and one way only.

He took her body in his arms, turning it, so he could have easy access to the wound. Infusing just a little of his own poison in his saliva, the young lord bent down and gently licked the cut. He felt her body shiver and heard her groan. A low growl rumbled through his chest to calm her. It was instinctive for alphas to do that to put their packmates at ease. Kagome's whimpers died in her throat and her body became still.

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

The young woman woke a few minutes later to find herself laying next to something large. And warm. She opened her eyes and looked around her. She was lying near Ah-Uh, with Rin kneeling next to her.

"Ah, Kagome-sama! Thank kami you are awake!", the young girl smiled brightly. Kagome tried smiling back, but winced in pain when trying to sit up. Rin's eyes widened and she turned. "Sesshoumaru-sama!"

The miko followed her gaze to the inu lord, who was standing across from Miroku and Sango. She lowered her eyes to another point of the it, where Shippou looking at her, eyes filled with tears. "Shippou!", she cried. And she saw him open his mouth, but no sound came.

"You should remain still for a few more minutes, miko" the baritone voice called her attention back to Sesshoumaru. "Until the wound is completely closed, at least. But it is safe to dissipate the barrier. It will allow your body to focus more energy on closing the cut."

"Oh?" The barrier! It was then that she noticed that a part of her mind was still bent on holding the barrier up, and looking at Shippou's face again, she finally saw a pink shimmer. "Oh. Ok." She focused again and felt the barrier being undone. Shortly, she was tackled by the little kitsune, who was crying his heart out by now.

"Okaa-chan, I woke up and-and you were bleeding! And Sesshou-Sesshoumaru-sama was helping you and we didn't-we didn't know what had happened and…"

"Cease your weeping, kitsune." Sesshoumaru's voice startled the young boy, who turned around to face him, trembling. "Your mother cannot heal if she has to worry about you. You must be strong for her."

Shippou nodded without hesitation, "H-hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!" And then turned again to Kagome, "Gomen'asai, okaa-chan."

Kagome smiled at her little boy, caressing his red hair, proud that he was so brave. She knew he was terrified of Sesshoumaru, and hadn't expected him to answer at all. She had thought it more likely for him to hide behind her, as a matter of fact. In the meanwhile, Sesshoumaru's thoughts were going in the same direction: he could smell the fear in the kit's scent, as well as sense it in his aura, and yet he was able to look him, Sesshoumaru, the Killing Perfection, in the eye. He was an odd child, just like Rin. And even odder was his being so mature about a situation like that. The inu lord half expected him to cry even harder. _Hn. Something forced him to grow up a little faster than it would be normally expected. Is the half-breed so much at fault?_

"Kagome-chan!" the taijyia's voice snapped both miko and youkai out of their thoughts. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, Sango-chan. Just a little sore.", she answered, massaging her side.

"That is to be expected, miko." Sesshoumaru said as he walked towards her. "Your body was forced to deal with different doses of two poisons: the one of the sasori youkai and the one of this Sesshoumaru. Your wound is most likely healing already, but some side-effects are to be expected."

She looked at him. She felt as though it were the first time she had ever done it, and he felt like it was the first time anyone had ever done. For a split of a second, they stared at each other, and it was intense. None of them knew how to deal with that, and Kagome looked back to her hand on Shippou's head, who was still on her lap. She patted him to get off her, and braced herself.

Slowly, she tried to raise her body. It stung, but she kept pushing. Sesshoumaru's expression was neutral, but Rin, Sango, Shippou and Miroku looked at her, and the last of them spoke. "Are you sure you should be getting up already, Kagome-sama?" The miko ignored the question for a few more seconds, until she was up and firm upon her two legs. Then, she turned to look at her friend.

"I'm not going to lay all day, Miroku-sama. Look, the sun is about to rise. It's time to get breakfast ready! We don't want to… have problems, remember?", she spoke cryptically. It dawned on the houshi.

"Oh, yes. Yes, good point!", he said and he and Sango went about re-building the fire that had died out sometime before she woke up again. They needed to have all the eating done with by the time InuYasha came back, but she didn't feel like telling Sesshoumaru all about it. He had helped them enough already!

In the meantime, the lord watched the whole thing with his mind working at full force. This pack was loaded with problems, and all of this would sooner or later end up putting the Shikon no Tama's guardian and, therefore, the jewel itself in great danger. And that would be quite troublesome. It would also be troublesome to challenge the boy's leadership over this group, and that was something he wished to avoid for a while. Sesshoumaru almost slapped his own forehead. He couldn't believe he'd have to dance around his idiotic half-brother.

Kagome started re-heating the fish, so they could eat it, but stopped mid-action and went stiff. "What is it, okaa-chan?", Shippou asked as Sango also inquired "Is anything the matter, Kagome-chan?"

"I-I can't sense Kykou anymore."

"That means her soul-reapers carried her away. InuYasha will be back at any minute", Miroku completed her line of thought.

Kagome looked unsurely at Sesshoumaru, who was sniffing the air. She was sure she saw a flash of disgust break through his usually emotionless face expression for a moment before his stoic mask was back in place. She was grateful for all he did, and knew by now, after all he had done, that he was not the jerk InuYasha believed him to be. The young miko had no doubt InuYasha would go on a rampage as soon as he saw his older brother, and she so did not want Sesshoumaru to have to deal with that! She decided to take the risk. "Sesshoumaru-sama, please don't get me wrong, but perhaps you and your pack should leave?"

Sesshoumaru rose an elegant eyebrow before looking at the edge of the clearing, where he knew the pup would come from, and back at the onna. He could guess why she would suggest something like that, and he agreed that it would be futile to try and make the mongrel see reason. Still, he would rather try than have to take his role as alpha over and have to travel with him. He knew the humans (with the taijyia's exception, perhaps) didn't understand the connection between them yet, but that did not change the fact that he was somewhat responsible for the pack's safety. "I will stay until the half-breed is here to protect his pack."

InuYasha's barging into the clearing a few seconds later took none by surprise, but Sesshoumaru didn't miss the miko's glancing between him and the hanyou.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"


	9. Chapter 9 - At daybreak

**AN: Howdy, folks! What's up? :)**

 **I'm really glad with all the views and reviews from last chapter! Thank you so much, guys! This means so much. This fic is something really special to me, and I'm happy to know that so many people are reading it! *-***

 **Amaya Rosanguard: Here you go! Welcome, and thanks for the review! *-***

 **MirrorFlower and Dark Wind: No, it isn't! LoL And here you go!**

 **Spanish-speaking Guest: Yes, way more than InuYasha! That's actually how I see them: I don't think InuYasha is thoughtful at all, among other faults. Sesshoumaru has his faults as well, but I think he holds dear to his heart some very important things, such as honor and pack/family.**

 **Trinabear: I actually agree with you! Haha And eventually, there will be a moment like that. But not for quite some chapters. We'll have to wait and see. Muahaha! And thank you, honey!**

 **I'm so, so sorry for the delay! I'm a freelancer, and I had this huge job. It was crazy! Anyway, I'm back now!**

 **So, last chapter ended with a cliffhanger, and I am SO NOT SORRY! Muahahaha**

 **Actually, I am… A little bit. But I had also felt for weeks that it had to happen at some point, and that moment was just begging me to be the chapter's end, so here we are. Haha**

 **When chapter 8 ended, InuYasha had just gotten to the clearing where Sesshoumaru, Kagome and their packs were gathered after Kagome's fight against the scorpion demon. This is not gonna be pretty!**

 **Though, I should probably warn you: There will be mild cursing in this chapter. I can't imagine InuYasha reacting to any of it and still managing to be somewhat polite. Let's face it, all of us (even those of us who do like him): Politeness is not to be found in his vocabulary. LoL**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Daiyoukai: Great demon**

 **Hanyou: Half-demon**

 **Inu: Dog**

 **Miko: Priestess**

 **Onna: Woman-child**

 **Osuwari: Sit**

 **Sayounara: Goodbye, bye**

 **Youkai: Demon**

 **-chan: Affectionate suffix, added to someone dear's name**

 **-sama: Respectful suffix, added to a superior's name**

Chapter 9 - At daybreak

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOIN' HERE, BASTARD?", InuYasha yelled as soon as he stepped into the clearing.

Sesshoumaru bit back a growl. The fool reeked of sex and graveyard soil. So, once more, both the Shikon no Tama and its guardian's safety had been jeopardized while the imbecile could have his way with a corpse. When had his honorable father's line become so low? "Inuyasha. We need to talk."

Something happened then that surprised the inu lord to no end: InuYasha payed him no mind. Sesshoumaru could honestly say he had expected. Absolutely. Anything. From the boy's immediate exception to the the boy's starting a fight out of nowhere. Anything. But for being ignored. And that annoyed him to no end. Shouldn't the imbecile listen to a request/order from his alpha? The daiyoukai had to bite back a growl when the boy did say something, turning to the miko.

"Why the hell does it smell like your blood in here, wench? What did you do now?", he was angry. Very angry, if his scent was anything to go by. The miko, though, was beyond angry after that. Her scent turned furious. And Sesshoumaru was even more surprised to learn that part of him enjoyed it immensely, while the other wanted to growl and join her in correcting (beating) the hanyou (into oblivion).

"What did I do? What. Did. I. Do?" Kagome was furious all right. She couldn't believe the nerve he had! Hadn't he been a few miles from them? He was definitely close enough for her to feel his aura as well a hers. "I was doing what YOU PROMISED to do! I was protecting everyone!"

"You probably were in danger again, weren't you, you stupid bitch?", he went on, as though she hadn't said anything. "You're useless enough to get everyone else into trouble! You're probably useless enough to bother the ice-prick bastard over there!"

"InuYasha…", Miroku started, only to be interrupted by the inu hanyou, who didn't seem to actually pay attention to anything around him:

"I can't believe you, wench! I wonder why I even bother about you! You're not even good at detectin' shards, so why are you here anyway? Not like you…"

And that, Kagome found a little odd and even more annoyed: She knew he'd be angry; she knew he'd yell; she knew he'd start a fight with Sesshoumaru. And all that she knew the cause for, even if she found it stupid and immature. But she just wasn't going to be ignored AND yelled at at the same time.

"OSUWARI!", and that make the dog-eared young man in front of her come crushing down. She didn't want to fight. It was exhausting! "Will you just SHUT UP, Inuyasha?"

Rin had to stiff a giggle behind her lord as the inu hanyou raised his head out of the dirt. Shippou, on the other hand, feared for his mother when he saw the guy's face.

"You nuts, wench? You siding with the bastard now, eh?", he said, his voice low and dangerous. Kagome didn't falter, though, and Sesshoumaru was somewhat impressed by the girl's courage. In spite of knowing it was not wise, the inu daiyoukai was half tempted to listen to his instincts and put the whelp in his due place.

Not a wise decision, though, and he forced himself to let InuYasha think he was an alpha. At least when it came to the two of them. The lord was actually hopeful that the girl would be able to yell some sense into the half-breed's ears and brain.

In the meanwhile, Kagome was fuming. And tired. She suddenly realized it might not have been wise to start the day's journey so early after all that had happened, but she put the thought away for now. She'd deal with walking when walking came. Right now, the raven-haired girl just wanted to get all this done with. Oh, Inuyasha would hear her, all right.

"That's enough, InuYasha! I get it you don't want to protect us anymore. I get it you'd rather travel with Kikyou." she ignored the hanyou's wide eyes as he raised himself from the ground. As if no one knew where he was off to at night more often than not! "But you still choose every time to come back to us, so that means you're still part of this group! If you won't protect us, I won't suffer you yelling at anyone for doing so. It's YOUR choice, Inuyasha! Yours, and yours alone!"

He walked towards her, and she had to stop herself from taking a step back. She was. NOT. Going to be intimidated by him. The miko was tired. She had had enough of it all: of her side hurting, of the wound draining her of her energies, of InuYasha's yelling, of his mistreating her and her friends, of having to hide food under pain of not having enough for her son. She was tired of being betrayed by her so-called friend at every turn. When she spoke again, her voice was as quiet and as dangerous as InuYasha's had been. The difference was the pink sparkles around her as she spoke.

"Maybe it's time for you to quit pretending to care about us at all. Maybe it's time for you to leave, InuYasha", and the teenager chose to ignore her friends' gasps at someone's, let alone her, finally saying it out loud.

Sesshoumaru could nearly smell what was coming. The onna had just challenged her alpha's position, but the thing is, InuYasha was so thick-headed that he couldn't understand he was losing (if he hadn't already lost) his position to a female. Therefore, he would turn his rage towards the one creature in the clearing who could have challenged him, in his foolish point of view. That would be Sesshoumaru himself. The lord knew the moment InuYasha's scent changed and prepared for a fight. He had sworn he was going to avoid one, and he did for as long as he could. The pup was cowardly and without honor. He wasn't.

Kagome, of course, was oblivious to the changes in both males' scent, but she knew two guys preparing to fight when she saw them. She had seen that plenty of times with InuYasha and Kouga. She noticed the brothers' stances, and decided enough was enough.

"You can go now, Sesshoumaru-sama. I'm sure you have other things to look to. Thanks for everything." She said, her voice as respectful and distant as she could muster. One look at Sesshoumaru and she almost sighed in relief when he nodded in return, turned around and left, Jaken and Ah-Uh following after him. Rin was the one who stayed a moment longer. Just long enough to look at Kagome and say "Rin is really glad you're okay, Kagome-sama!", and then, turning to Shippou, "Sayonara, Shippou-chan!" And the little girl walked away.

As she looked from the girl's back disappearing into the forest to the east, where she could see sunlight coming from the treetops, Kagome breathed a sigh, whether of relief or of exasperation, she did not know for certain.

"We should get going, now Kagome-sama", she barely heard Miroku's voice behind her. She did feel the yank at her arm as InuYasha's hand closed around it.

"He's right! If you don't start walking right now, I'm gonna drag you all the way, wench!"

And so, their day's journey began...


	10. Chapter 10 - The fruits of fishing

**AN: Hi, everyone! How's it going?**

 **This chapter still is a much shorter than I would've hoped, but I'm working my way there. Let's hope it doesn't take me too long, huh?**

 **Ree-san: They are "dropping" it so we'll have them exactly where I want when they give in to the tension. Muahaha but I'll definitely try to make it smoother next time. Maybe it'll be better? What do you think?**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Thanks! And don't worry, someone will! Muahaha**

 **Matsuo Hotaru: Wow, I'm glad I could get to you like that! And oh, thank you for pointing that out! I'm still working on how to correct it without having to delete the entire chapter (maybe that's the only way, I don't know)! I'm so sorry about that!**

 **Slvrphoenx: Thanks, honey! Here it is! I hope it satisfies you a little better.**

 **Last time we met our heroes (gosh, it sounds like I'm narrating some TV show from the 90s, doesn't it? LoL), some of the tension broke, but it was really far from being the whole thing. Expect much, much worse a few chapters from now!**

 **What do you think of the story so far? Leave a review to let me know, ok? :)**

 **I hope you all like it!**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Doumo arigatou: Thank you very much.**

 **Hanyou: Half-demon**

 **Inu: Dog**

 **Kami: God(s), or goddess(es)**

 **Kitsune: Fox**

 **Kuso: Spider**

 **Miko: Priestess**

 **Okaa-chan: An affectioned way to call one's mother**

 **Sasori: Scorpion**

 **Youkai: Demon**

 **-chan: Affectionate suffix, added to someone dear's name**

 **-sama: Respectful suffix, added to a superior's name**

Chapter 10 - The fruits of fishing

Kagome's legs hurt like hell. She could barely stand up, let alone keep walking! It was the third dawn since the whole sasori ordeal, and rare had been the moments they were able to stop and rest in their route northwards. They had been sleeping very little too.

InuYasha had accused her of going behind his back. "How come Sesshoumaru saved ya, huh?", he had shouted over and over, insinuating she had been doing Kami-knew-what to get his half-brother's attention. She had tried to reason with him that first day. After he started dragging her, she really did try. She couldn't though, and didn't have the energy to keep trying either: the reaction to Sesshoumaru's poison had been more tiresome than she had at first thought, and after having so little time to rest and recover from that troublesome night, she just didn't have the energy to even sit InuYasha and face his annoyed anger afterwards.

One thing troubled her in these last few days… She had felt a presence all along, approaching them from the north, but was not able to identify it, so faint it was. It had come around noon that day. Miroku hadn't felt anything at all, and InuYasha hadn't smelled anything. Still, it nagged at her. She knew it, she was sure of it! And every now and then, that aura tugged at hers, as though to remember her of its unwavering company and push her to keep going.

The girl had been so tired, she had simply obeyed. It didn't make her particularly safe to know it was around. She just rolled with its presence, getting used to it. And as she dragged her feet through the forest, heading for a small river to fish, she knew it was coming closer. Much, much closer, to be exact, and that put her on edge.

"Girl…", she heard a voice next to her. She dropped her bow and raised her hands, preparing for an attack. Sesshoumaru just looked at her and raised an elegant brow. "Your reflexes are good enough. I assure you, though, that would not have been enough, were I to try and hurt you."

After a moment's shock, she blinked. "Sesshoumaru-sama, it's you!"

"Indeed", was his quiet answer. Her reflexes had been much too slow for her to have even presented him with a challenge, had his intent been that of harming her. Her scent had changed too. It lacked something he couldn't quite place his claw on. And he was a great deal surprised at himself when he realized he didn't like this want one bit. It just didn't suit her. He eyed her closely, and she felt extremely self-conscious. There was another change in her: she was a little bit thinner. Not that a human could see it; it had been just three days, after all. But to his keen senses... "The mongrel is getting worse as an alpha, if ever that was possible."

Her reaction was a slight nod, but decided to try her limits with the lord. "You have been accompanying us from, Sesshoumaru-sama." It was more of a statement than of an actual question. He offered a nod of his own. Not sensing any resistance from him, she pressed the subject even further. "Would you mind telling me why?"

"Because the guardian of the Shikon no Tama must be protected, if the vermin Naraku is to be defeated. You are of great importance to his downfall." He said cooly. After a moment's pause, he continued "As much as I despise it, I am InuYasha's older brother. That would make me, were I to wish it, his alpha. I will avoid it if I can, but I will not suffer the half-breed to put my lands and my people at risk because he has no honour."

"You're a better leader than he is, then, and are watching over us." She said, and then gave him a soft smile "I think I'll be able to sleep a little better knowing that's why I've been feeling this presence, and that we don't need to fear it. Doumo arigatou, Sesshoumaru-sama." And with a bow, she turned around and left him. He watched her go before speeding after her. He had come with an objective, and only part of it had been fulfilled.

He arrived at the river before her and, by the time she got there too, he had done all the fishing in her stead. She looked at him in surprise, and opened another soft smile at his explanation "I am here to ensure the safety and comfort of InuYasha's pack. Next time, when you are not so exhausted, I will teach you how to do it properly"

"How can I ever repay you?", she asked. She was more grateful to him now than she remembered ever being to InuYasha, and she was actually very little surprised to hear him ask her nothing more than was her duty, nothing more than what she had wanted to do since the very beginning: that she helped defeat Naraku to the best of her powers.

As she walked back to camp, she couldn't help but wish that she had already done just that. She was tired and, though she knew she no longer had a life on the other side of the well, she longed for peace. She didn't like war or violence… And she didn't like what the fates had chosen for her. Kagome was not one to complain, rather taking it all as it came. But it really was distressing to be involved in something so violent and cruel.

The young miko was pulled from her musings as Miroku's voice reached her ears. "Kagome-sama, you came back quickly!"

"How did you get so much food, okaa-chan?", Shippou came to her with a big smile on his face.

"That, my darling, is a secret", she winked playfully. Her voice trembled a bit, though, and the kitsune youkai's sensitive ears heard it very well. He looked around and, noticing no one else had given any signs of hearing it too, decided not to raise any suspicions on InuYasha, who had just arrived. He knew his adoptive mother was awesome. Anyone with half a brain could see as clear as daylight that she was the most incredible person to ever step on this earth. Of course she was! She was his okaa-chan! But awesome as she was, she wasn't fast enough to do THAT.

The kit decided to ask his adoptive mother about it later, when InuYasha wasn't around.

In the meanwhile, Kagome really hoped InuYasha didn't smell Sesshoumaru on the fish. She hadn't really touched him, but the fish on the other hand… The miko went stiff as the puppy-eared hanyou walked closer to her.

"Nice to see you doin' something right for a change, huh, wench? I'm starvin'!", he said with a smirk on his face. He took most of the fish from her hands and perched himself on a tree branch. Shippou wanted to cover his nose: the guy reeked with that evil woman's scent. And there was something else too… Another thing he should very much like to ask his okaa-chan about later.

Kagome sighed. She was already too tired, and on top of all would have to go fishing again that evening. Her son needed her to, though, and she would do whatever she must to see him well.


	11. Chapter 11 - New moon

**AN: Hello, folks!**

 **Wow, the wait has been a bit longer than usual. Sorry about that!College and work have been eating my soul bit by bit.**

 **Anyway, thank you so, so much for all the reviews! You have no idea how much it means! I'm just sorry I won't be able to answer some of them, because they're anon.**

 **Also there are a few others who will get their answers through DM, because they are in previous chapters. I tried answering them all here before posting, and realized it was going to be too much of a mess for it to ever work. But check your inbox, if that's the case of your review, because there will be an answer. :)**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Shippou has always been one of my favorites as well! We'll see quite a lot of him throughout the story, that I can promise you! And Inuyasha's a** will get the proper beating! But not before we understand a few things. LoL I assure you, him going off with Kikyou is NOT just an explanation for Kagome to be with Sesshoumaru instead of him (although, I must say, it serves that purpose pretty well too in this case). There's a reason for that, and we need to understand at least part of it before you know how well he deserves the a** beating.**

 **Veraozao: Thanks. XOXO**

 **This chapter is going to be somewhat short, but I'm trying. LoL**

 **Bear with me 'till I can get a long one out again, ok?**

 **Tell me what you think. :)**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Daiyoukai: Great demon**

 **Hanyou: Hal-demon**

 **Houshi: Monk**

 **Inu: Dog**

 **Kappa: Frog**

 **Kitsune: Fox**

 **Sensei: Teacher, master**

 **Shikon no Tama: Jewel of the Four Souls**

 **Taijyia: Demon slayer**

 **Youkai: Demon**

 **-chan: Affectionate suffix, added to someone dear's name**

 **-sama: Respectful suffix, added to a superior's name**

Chapter 11 - New moon

InuYasha was beyond furious. He was sitting on a tree branch. Absent-mindedly, he looked towards the skirts of the woods around the clearing his group was in, waiting for the sun to disappear behing the mountains. His mind, though, wasn't on the night that lay ahead of him as he looked west, the sun already touching the horizon.

The hanyou knew Sesshoumaru was still around. He just knew it! He just couldn't find out where the bastard was. He couldn't smell his half-brother's scent all around him, specially when Kagome came back from fishing. That alone was driving him absolutely mad! Something smelled like the ice-prick, and yet it wasn't her!

This… Feeling had been going on for two weeks already. It had started two or three days after the useless girl had needed his damn bastard of a brother to save her. InuYasha growled to himself… That had been needless, and a part him still wondered why the hell Sesshoumaru had even bothered, when he himself cared little for the girl's safety these days!

Oh, he wasn't stupid. He knew Kagome was important. Damn, he would go far as admit (to himself only, of course) that she was important to him! But she shouldn't be! He had realized that a few months ago after meeting Kikyou. That was when he knew for sure that Kagome had to go… And if she left Kikyou's soul in the process, all the better. Only then would they stand any chance against Naraku.

Still, in the meant time, Kagome was important. At least until Kikyou had her was powerful enough to take up her rightful place at his side and as the Shikon no Tama's guardian.

Until then, though, Kagome was still his. And being who he was, he couldn't help the anger rising as he thought that his brother was near his pack. HIS. Sesshoumaru had no business at all coming close to them.

The hanyou was torn from his thoughts as he heard Shippou's voice whispering to the houshi at some other point of their campsite "Miroku, isn't it new moon tonight?" The pervert's answer followed, "It is, Shippou. Why do you ask?"

"Is InuYasha going away for the night again? Shouldn't he stay with us? I mean, he's gonna be an easy pray!" The kitsune's whispers were getting on his nerves. Maybe he would knock him off for the rest of the evening?

"He's free to do as he chooses, Shippou", said Sango. The "couple" (or whatever they were) was responsible for taking care of the boy and the camp while the wench was off fishing.

The hanyou saw Kikyou's soul collecters and sighed. As much as he absolutely hated to admit it, the whelp was right.

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-

"Kagome-sama is getting better at fishing, isn't she, Jaken-sama?", Rin asked over the ancient youkai's head. She was taller than him by over a head now, and so had no dificulty at all in seeing what was going on, even when the kappa tried to stop her. Which was now the case. The green toad thought her a nuiscance and only to be in the way of his powerful lord.

"OF COURSE! She's being taught by the great Sesshoumaru-sama himself! With such a sensei, she would be worthless indeed if she failed!", he screeched in an annoyed voice.

In the meanwhile, Kagome was knee-deep in the water, her bow and arrow ready for the kill. Sesshoumaru stood towering over her head as he watched from behind her. This would be the last fish, and then she would be able to call it a day. But Jaken's yelling scared all the fish away.

"Ugh… I'll never be able to do it! If I had been faster, I woould've caught that one...", she said out loud, more to herself than to anyone else. Sesshoumaru heard her, though.

"You're fast enough for a human, miko. Comparing yourself is of no use, so you should learn to live with what you are…" he said, absent-mindedly inhaling her scent. That something that had been completely absent the first time he helped her with the fishing was now slowly coming back, and it soothed him. Inwardly, he added _Being powerful as you are, you are better than many youkai too._ But he wouldn't give her that satisfaction, even though he knew it would boost her confidence. He had allowed her much too close already.

That would be over soon, though. He had been using these fishing lessons to test and train her combat skills. Not only with the bow and arrow, as she had borrowed the taijyia's sword a few times, at the daiyoukai's request. She was not altogether hopeless with her weapons, and apparently her powers were always involved. That seemed out of her control, instead of being done by her own will, though, and he would need to figure a way of training her a little in that sense before he could relinquish his role as protector.

Not when she was fishing, though. She wouldn't be able to make any progress while thus tired. Attempting would be extremely counter-productive.

He heard her sigh in relief as she finally pierced a fish with an arrow, having done for the evening. She then looked to the west, where the sun had finally sunk behind the mountains. It was not dark yet, but it would not be long. She needed to hurry.

The miko left the water, her hair flying behind her, and gathered all of her arrows and the fish. She then said her goodbyes to Rin and Jaken (though the latter paid her no attention) and turned to her mentor, before bowing low. "Thank you for everything, Sesshoumaru-sama. I don't think you'll need to bother with me much longer."

And, with that, she turned on her heels and ran back to her own pack. She arrived just when the moon had risen. Inuyasha had just transformed into human, and so did not smell anything different on the girl. Shipoou, on the other hand, did smell something.

Sesshoumaru had known for quite a few years that the new moon was his half-brother's human night, and so hadn't bothered in hiding his scent while teaching the miko.

The young kitsune hadn't suspected anything this far, but now some pieces just… fell into the puzzle of his mother's fishing. He would ask her later when InuYasha was asleep. He was slept like a rock on nights like these. Yeah, he would do that.

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-

At the dead of the night, Kagome woke up with a shiver running down her spine. _Shoot, another youkai I'll have to fight on my own!_ That's when she felt Sesshoumaru's aura spreading over her camp and frightening away whatever demons were trying to get the them. The raven-haired girl sighed in relief and lay down once more, whispering her thanks to the soft breeze as she fell asleep.

Just outside the clearing, Sesshoumaru heard her voice "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama". He couldn't help but feel the warm pride that invaded him.


	12. Chapter 12: Changes

**AN: Hello, y'all! How are you?**

 **Wow, this is the longest wait ever! I'm so, so sorry, guys. Real life can be a real pain sometimes, can't it? Seemingly, real life has decided to replace my muse for stress. I DON'T LIKE IT! D:**

 **Happily, this chapter came a little longer than I had expected (it's NOT a filler chapter, though), and I hope you'll all like it!**

 **This is a bit more "mature", though, and I hope it doesn't offend any of you. It's is actually kinda important that it be that way, and if you all bear with me, you'll understand why.**

 **Tell me what you think. :)**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Daiyoukai: Great demon**

 **Hanyou: Half-demon**

 **Inu: Dog**

 **Miko: Priestess**

 **Shikon no Tama: Jewel of the Four Souls**

 **Youkai: Demon**

Chapter 12 - Changes

Kagome rose at dawn on the morning after the new moon, just in time to see InuYasha, who was still sound asleep, change back to his hanyou form. There was a slight disturbance in his aura at that moment, when the black locks were replaced by the whitish silver hair; it was something she had never felt before whenever he changed. She let it slip from her thoughts, though, as she sensed the rest of the area. Sure enough, Sesshoumaru was still around, with Jaken and Ah-Un's auras very close to his own.

She removed herself carefully from her sleeping bag, so as not to wake Shippou, and started preparing breakfast. That is, until she felt something tugging at her very soul, and it was quite close… _Kikyou._

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

Hours later found her quite on edge. InuYasha had been acting odd all day. Kagome had seen him glancing at her from time to time. But it was not his usual, angry or annoyed look. It wasn't even the look he had usually had in the past, that of curiosity and even trust. No, it was something else altogether. And it gave her the creeps, if she was going to be totally honest with herself.

Kikyou was still very close to them. Kagome could feel the pull at her soul. She knew the dead miko had been much too close since before sunset the day before, and yet the hanyou had made no move to go towards her. His nostrils didn't even flare as they usually did when he smelled something. Shippou didn't seem to notice the dead miko's presence either.

Perhaps she was able to mask her scent and aura, just like Sesshoumaru? And why would she want to do it anyway? Wasn't InuYasha the reason why she was always around?

Something put an end to Kagome's thoughts. A feeling, of sorts. When she looked up, Inuyasha was staring at her. He had that look on his face again, the one she couldn't quite put her finger on. The girl tried to put a smile on her face and said small voice, "Yes, 'Yasha?"

"I was wonderin' if we could have a chat tonight. Y'know, just you and me", he answered in a voice as low as hers. Something in the tone he used bothered her, but she decided to ignore it. Maybe this was her chance to fix things. Maybe she could understand him better. Right? She offered him a nod and kept walking.

InuYasha didn't seem to be pushing them all so hard that day, which in itself was a blessing already, and it helped Kagome ignore the strange feeling in her guts as she walked alongside with Sango. The slayer herself seemed relieved, and so they were able to chat as the day went by.

Just before sunset, as Miroku, Shippou and Sango went to gather wood for the fire, Kagome turned to InuYasha, who was looking towards the south, where she could feel Sesshoumaru's aura. He was quite close to them. He didn't express any feelings on the subject. _Well, at least that answers one question. But it leaves another_ , she thought to herself. _Why doesn't he know? He used to smell things much farther away. And he can't sense him either!_

After a moment's silence, in which the creep on her spine only got worse, she saw him turn around and walk towards her. He didn't say anything at first. Instead, he put his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. She held her breath as he put his nose against her neck. "Inuyasha…? What''s going on?", she asked on a weak voice.

"I worry about you, Kags. I really do", he said, his face still buried in her neck and hair.

"Ham… Thanks, 'Yasha", she replied, as she put his hands against his chest to gently push him away. It didn't work, though. "But why are you saying it all of a sudden?" _I guess I should've just listened to my instinct._

"'Cause you gotta start doing what I tell you to. Y'know, that's kinda my duty to look after the lot of you, so you gotta trust me, all right?", he finished the sentence with a kiss to her neck. Kagome had never been kissed like that before and she had always expected to feel… good. All it did was put her even more on edge that she already was.

As she felt his fangs graze her skin, she lost it. "InuYasha, what the hell?"

When she pushed him, and this time she tried harder than before, she realized he had locked his arms tightly around her form. "You gotta obey me, Kags, I need you to. And you WILL do it", his voice was different, as she felt it rumble through her throat. His aura changed too, and she panicked. Before she knew, she had pushed him even harder, using her powers. That sent him flying across the clearing.

She heard him growl and prepared to run or fight. Whatever the hell was going on?

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

Sesshoumaru bit back a sigh (which, he noted, he had been doing a lot, lately). Jaken had been whining for hours now about how his great Sesshoumaru-sama could do this and do that. Of course, the toad was right: the great inu youkai was extremely powerful. But hearing it all the time was becoming very annoying, especially as the praises seemed to grow empty and meaningless. Besides, his servant's voice itself was annoying to no end, so.

On top of all, it was also getting in the way! He had sensed something strange among his half-brother's pack all day, and hadn't been able to identify what it was. Needled to say, it was an extremely frustrating experience.

Since he, the Killing Perfection, was having difficulties with it, he doubted even the miko would have been able to sense it. So, if it was something dangerous, he was the only one who could keep the Shikon no Tama safe.

That subtle change had been there all day, but now, just before sunset, it had increased a lot, and he had sensed the girl's powers surge. That sent his instincts into a craze. The young lord glared at Jaken, who bowed, and took off to meet the problem.

When the daiyoukai got to the clearing, he saw InuYasha getting back to his feet, growling like mad, and Kagome backing away, her eyes hard and trained on her packmate. He soon realized what he hadn't been able to before: the change was in the hanyou's aura. The pup would attack her, and he was quite annoyed, not to mention confused, that his presence had gone by unnoticed.

"However useless your senses were before, little brother, they seem to be even worse now", he said, aware that it was only going to make the whelp attack him instead of the miko. _So be it. I could use a reason to knock him out_.

InuYasha turned to face his older brother, his eyes murderous. Sesshoumaru had expected them to be all crimson and purple, but there was only a hint of red. He also had expected him to attack with the Tessaiga. _He comes against me with his claws instead._ Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed dangerously.

He dodged the hanyou's first attack, grabbing his arm and spinning. Once. Twice. He then threw his younger brother to the ground. At the very center of the clearing.

Only after Sesshoumaru was done, was he able to look at Kagome. "He did not hurt you", he stated more than asked. Her eyes were locked in the hanyou, who now lay unconscious. When she did look up to meet the inu lord's gaze, something in him urged him to inspect her further, though, and not one to ignore his instincts, that's what he did.

"His scent over you is stronger now than it has been in a long while, miko", and at the moment he realized InuYasha's saliva covered her neck, he felt the need to beat the whelp even more.

"InuYasha's been acting strange all day. I don't know what's gotten into him, Sesshoumaru-sama", she said. Her voice was not low or shy as he had expected. She was nervous, all right, and maybe afraid, but she spoke with the nerve and heart and spirit that usually marked her every sentence. The daiyoukai had to admit he enjoyed more and more seeing it.

"It seems to be a spell of some sort, though I cannot precise it", he answered. She nodded and became thoughtful. What InuYasha had been about to do was something she did not want to find out. Nor did she want to know what would happen once she found herself alone with him again, and let's face it, traveling together, it was bound to happen sooner or later. But could she just leave him and the others? More than to gather the jewel shards and to defeat Naraku, she had sworn to do so with them.

But with InuYasha's being under some spell… A spell they knew nothing about to begin with! He was the best fighter amongst them, and he best of all knew Naraku. "How can we trust him to lead us?", she asked out loud, forgetting for a moment Sesshoumaru's presence. He hadn't forgotten hers, though. He had watched her closely.

"You have no need to trust him any more, Kagome", he said. He wanted to sigh, to growl and to kill something. Preferably, InuYasha. But he didn't. It was time to take matters into his own hands, and to take up his role of alpha. "From this night forward, until Naraku is killed, I will help you."

Her wide eyes met his decided ones. "Would you do that?" He nodded. She bowed low. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

He could smell her other three packmates coming back. "Tell yours to wait here and watch for the mongrel. I will return shortly." He turned around he went back to retrieve his own pack.

What had he just gotten himself into?


	13. Chapter 13: Damn

**AN: Wow! I was so happy to see so many people reading the last chapter, even though this fic went a few weeks without an update! Thank you all so much!**

 **Mirror Flower and Dark Wind: I hope it is! Thank you so much! :)**

 **Pgoodrichboggs: So, you like this slow rhythm? Glad to hear it! \o/**

 **Slvrphonx: Oh, yes, he is! That's for sure! Haha**

 **This chapter is quite short, but fret not, beloved readers! I'm just warming you up for what's coming next!The next two or three chapters will be VERY busy for us, and you're in for a few surprises, I'm sure! LoL**

 **Remember Kage, guys? If you don't, I strongly recommend reading chapters 3-6 again, because it will shake things up quite a bit!**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Daiyoukai: Great demon**

 **Hanyou: Half-demon**

 **Inu: Dog**

 **Kage: Shadow**

 **Miko: Priestess**

 **Reiki: Holy powers**

 **Shikon no Tama: Jewel of the Four Souls**

 **Youkai: Demon**

 **Youki: Demonic powers**

Chapter 13: Damn

Kagome watched nervously as Sesshoumaru walked away. She started hearing the others' voices and felt uneasy. What if InuYasha woke up? What if he attacked Sango or Miroku? Or, heaven forbid, what if he attacked Shippou? Oh, and how was she supposed to explain InuYasha passed out in the middle of the clearing?

With her mind made up about that problem, the girl did all she could to remove him from where he lay. It was hard, she had forgotten how heavy he was, but she did manage to place him against a tree, so it looked like he had fallen asleep (which would be difficult enough in itself to explain, since he rarely slept, especially after the new moon).

In order to avoid he woke up and attacked any of the others, the miko concentrated and built a small barrier around the hanyou's body. She told herself that Sesshoumaru wouldn't be long. That thought came along with the small flutter of butterflies in her stomach, that always seemed to be related to the inu lord these days. She looked from InuYasha, feeling a small pang of pain at the memory of who her hanyou friend had become, to the direction where she could feel Sesshoumaru's aura, which felt just a tad bit warmer than she remembered it.

 _Damn._

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

The daiyoukai returned to his pack and ordered Jaken to prepare and leave. There was not much which had to be done, and so he focused on his surroundings: his full of a brother, still unconscious by the looks of it; the miko, her aura, however uneasy, rather soothing to him; and the little flea youkai, Myouga, jumping towards him.

It had been quite a while since the last visit from his father's old, cowardly friend. Usually the flea was downright terrified of coming near him. Sesshoumaru stood motionless, waiting for Myouga to come to him. "Sesshoumaru-sama… _pufpuf_ … I have been looking for you for quite some time… _pufpuf_ … I bring word of… Of Bukusenou!" he said, puffing and gasping for air. "He sent a message concerning the kage youkai!"

Sesshoumaru raised an elegant brow. Myouga had gotten his undivided attention. "Speak, flea."

"Bokusenou spoke to Toutousai. The three of us talked for hours, discussing all the information we have been gathering since you went to see him, my lord. It's not much, but we did the best we could. I beg your pardon, but it seems that Kage has one weakness." he spoke without breathing, leaving him panting once again. Sesshoumaru was actually surprised to hear that, and intrigued, eager to learn more. That was not so good for Myouga, since he needed time to gather his lungs from the floor, and inu are usually very anxious when their curiosity is excited. The lord started growing impatient when the elder spoke again. "It… Kage, I mean… seems to be vulnerable to the union of reiki and youki, sir."

"So, the Shikon no Tama will be its downfall…", Sesshoumaru began, but was interrupted by Myouga.

"No, my lord." Sesshoumaru growled, but the flea demon for once did not cower. "Forgive me, but the jewel can never find the balance necessary to defeat Kage. No, Sesshoumaru-sama, I speak of living souls who can join forces. We believe that such a union could be achieved by common alliances, but would become even stronger if the two souls were to be… Uhm… Mates, my lord."

Sesshoumaru understood the elder's hesitation perfectly well. He, being the most powerful youkai in the world, would need to mate a miko. Not just any miko. The most powerful miko he could find! In spite of all the power she would certainly have, it was needless to say that idea annoyed him immensely. He did not want a mate. He had never wanted a mate. A mate bond was too deep a connection between two beings, a connection that could be used against him. His mate would become his weakness. His father's mate had been his undoing, and he, the great Sesshoumaru, the Killing Perfection, would never succumb to his father's doom. He had long since proven how much more powerful than Touga he was.

"Just think how much power your mate could lend you, and how much power you could lend them!" The lord growled, and heard Jaken, who had finished packing, squeal from Ah-Un's side. "Food for thought, Sesshoumaru-sama!", Myouga cried as he ran for his life. A mate, they had suggested. A mate! Why on earth did this Kage spirit have to be so important as to affect his life so much?

 _Damn._

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

Kagura sighed. She had been searching after that shadow for weeks, and Naraku was so mad at her for not having found it yet! The wind youkai was even more afraid of him than usual.

She was now looking down to a village near the coast. Here, the wind was so different, so free… So different from her. And yet, that same free wind had witnessed the horror the shadow had brought upon that village. She had sent for Naraku, and expected him to be here soon.

The wind witch hoped he had any ideas concerning how to use, manipulate or absorb this thing, because it sure was the most violent and cruel attack she had ever seen, and that was saying a lot, since she herself was cruel enough!

But then again, would it be so terrible if Kage targeted Naraku next?

On the other hand, if Naraku was attacked by Kage and killed, what would happen to her and Kanna? In this case, things might get really complicated for her and the void demoness. Kagura wondered, not for the first time in her life, if she would ever be free.

 _Damn._


	14. Chapter 14: Moves to decide fates

**AN: Hi, guys! How are you?**

 **Thank you so much for reading the fic so far. Don't forget to tell me what you think too, so I can improve this for ya. :)**

 **And I'm so sorry. One more overdue chapter! Ugh, I hate being an adult! During highschool, I had all the time in the world to write. Boy, do I miss that!**

 **Anyway, here it finally is! The time is come at last**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Thanks! I didn't want to be too cute. Haha**

 **Pgoodrichboggs: Oh, at least that's what we hope for, right? Haha**

 **Veraozao: Thanks 3**

 **Darknessdawns:Thank you! It really means a lot to read it!**

 **Enjoy, and I'll talk to you next time.**

 **AN 2: Gee! I'm so, so sorry about that, guys! I hadn't realized the error at all! Anyway, here it is. Chapter 14 finally up (and correctly so this time, I hope).**

 **A million thanks to AlexaTorrez, Angel-Rias and Darknessdawns for pointing it out to me!**

 **I hope you enjoy it this time around. Haha**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Daiyoukai: Great demon**

 **Hanyou: Half-demon**

 **Inu: Dog**

 **Kitsune: Fox**

 **Miko: Priestess**

 **Okaa-san: Mother**

 **Onna: Woman-child**

 **-bou: Affectionate suffix, similar to -chan, usually used for small children and babies (for boys only)**

 **-chan: Affectionate suffix, added to someone dear's name**

 **-sama: Respectful suffix, added to a superior's name**

 **Chapter 14: Moves to decide fates**

Kagome explained the whole ordeal which had just taken place to Sango and Miroku, while Shippou tried to light the fire using his powers, a new hobby or training practice he had developed lately. The miko usually didn't like it, but it kept him so busy that it came in handy right now: she had already had to throw in some weird story about why InuYasha was sleeping under a barrier. She hadn't had the time to think of how she'd explain to her dear kit the whole thing.

It was at that moment she heard InuYasha groaning as he began to wake. Kagome felt Sango and Miroku go stiff next to her. She really only had time to strengthen the barrier around him before he started struggling.

When she looked him in the eyes, she knew that he remembered all that had happened until he was knocked out and was beyond mad. At her. He also looked more primal than usual, very similar to what his youkai form looked like, but his eyes were normal and there were no markings. Instinctively, she let her aura flare. InuYasha seemed to understand her warning, for he stopped growling.

"Kagome-sama, do you really think we can trust him to be around us?", Miroku asked. Kagome noticed no one didn't even question her decision about the daiyoukai.

"Sesshoumaru will be here, Miroku. We all know how much stronger than InuYasha he is", she said, taking a deep breath before going on, never taking her eyes off InuYasha. "So I guess we won't have to worry about that. My only worry is how long it will take for Sesshoumaru to get tired of it all."

"What is it that you fear, Kagome-chan? That he'll leave us to InuYasha?", Sango asked.

"No, Sango-chan. He promised to help us and he doesn't strike as a guy who goes back on his word. He seems to value honor above almost everything else. I trust him to keep his word." She then stared at her friends. "No. What worries me is that I don't know how long it will be before he gets tired of InuYasha."

"What do you mean, okaa-san?", Shippou asked, hopping on his adoptive mother's shoulder. He had lit the fire, and now was watching InuYasha warily. Oh, no, he hadn't missed one single word that had passed between the adults.

Kagome reached Shippou's hair with her hand to calm him down. "InuYasha is going to be pissed, Shippou-bou. He's going to be wanting to pick up a fight. Sesshoumaru's done too much already."

"You really trust him, then, Kagome-chan?", Sango asked.

Kagome faced her friend, her eyes as decided and sure as they had ever seen. "Yeah, I do. Right now, I trust him way more than I have InuYasha for a while." At that moment, they found that they couldn't disagree with her. And well, that she had taken that decision alone because, however poorly trained a fighter as she was, she had been taking care of them for a long time.

\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/

Sesshoumaru kept his aura and scent hidden. No one would know he was coming, which was a good thing. He didn't want his obnoxious half-brother to come barging against him, in case the miko wasn't able to hold him.

As he got closer to the onna's camp, he heard her voice. "So I guess we won't have to worry about that. My only worry is how long it will take for Sesshoumaru to get tired of it all", to what the other female asked "What is it that you fear, Kagome-chan? That he'll leave us to InuYasha?"

His blood boiled. Did they think he had no honor? He wanted to growl, but he also found himself somewhat curious... Anxious, even? He would never admit that out loud, but yes, he felt eager to know what the miko would tell her friends about him. Therefore, he remained silent.

"No, Sango-chan. He promised to help us and he doesn't strike as a guy who goes back on his word. He seems to value honor above almost everything else. I trust him to keep his word. No. What worries me is that I don't know how long it will be before he gets tired of InuYasha."

Hn. So the girl knew him better than the others. That was to be expected, since they indeed had spent some time together during her fishing lessons. He didn't expect her to let her trust in him be so openly known by her companions. Where did this warmth which spread through his body come from?

Jaken arrived, guiding Ah-Un and Rin, and the lord knew he could keep on hiding. It was time to join the onna's pack.

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Kagome glanced at InuYasha as he began growling again. She really hoped Sesshoumaru would get here soon. Tired as she was, she wasn't sure if she could keep this barrier up much longer. He seemed to be really close, but if she focused harder on where exactly, she would lose control over the hanyou.

That was when she heard something behind her and turned to see what it was. Relief washed over her upon seeing the inu lord, and she lost concentration for half a second. It was enough for the hanyou to break free from her barrier. The girl turned to face him again and froze, not knowing what to expect.

He crouched, and she readied herself to try and fight, knowing very well she would most likely fail. Then, she blinked, and the next thing she noticed was that she couldn't see InuYasha anymore. Sesshoumaru stood in front of her, crouching slightly and growling even louder than his half-brother.

She heard the daiyoukai's voice. It was even deeper and deadlier than usual. "Beware of your next movement, hanyou."

Kagome watched over his shoulder as InuYasha stopped growling and backed away a bit. She released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

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Sesshoumaru felt all about the girl somewhat relaxed, but didn't change his stance. He had been moved by instinct upon seeing the whelp preparing to attack. Never one to do anything he would regret later, he knew he had become alpha of this pack from the moment first got to their campsite earlier that evening.

Now, he saw realization shine through his brother's eyes, and then anger, and the smell of envy, defiance, possessiveness and so many other emotions… That's why he still hadn't given up his position in front of the girl.

The hanyou was definitely going to try and challenge him, and that made the daiyoukai inwardly groan. He was in no mood for this.


	15. Chapter 15 - A half truth

**AN: Hi, y'all!**

 **I won't even try to apologize or justify myself. I just hope this term will be a little bit easier on me from now on. Thank you so much for the reviews!**

 **Pgoodrichboggs: I don't think he's running away… Not just yet, maybe? Muahahaha**

 **Ree-san: Thank you so much! I hope I can keep on portraying them well!**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Well, he's not gonna walk away in one piece, this I can promise you. Haha**

 **Feefee242: Glad to hear/read it! Haha Here it is! :)**

 **Darknessdawns: Thank you for letting me know. Yes, we do haha. And as for the fluff, I don't think there will be anything THAT much fluffy for quite a few chapters, but there will definitely be hints of it. *-***

 **Anyway, this chapter's short, but there's a reason for that. You may expect someone to get his ass kicked royally next time, and it's NOT InuYasha. Can you take a guess?**

 **Read, enjoy and review! 3**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Daiyoukai: Great demon**

 **Hanyou: Half-demon**

 **Miko: Priestess**

 **Onna: Woman-child**

 **Chapter 16: A half truth**

Sesshoumaru was right on his assumptions. What he wasn't right about, though, was the speed InuYasha was capable of under the spell. In a quick movement, the hanyou went to encircle him in order to get to Kagome. The daiyoukai only had enough time to turn around, pull her towards him by the waist and jump.

He barely registered the other humans' gasp or the kit's whimper and ignored Jaken's outrage altogether. He did register Kagome's hand grabbing the silk of his clothes and InuYasha's claws nearly reaching them. When he landed, he let her go and sent Jaken one single glance. His retainer, annoying though he might be, was loyal and understood an order when given one.

Sesshoumaru alone stood now between his half-brother and the rest of the pack. He growled at the boy. The lord wasn't used to being challenged like this, and it only made him that much angrier.

For some reason, he didn't sense InuYasha's aura change. Kagome did, though. She didn't know how, but she felt it sort of twist for a split of a second. InuYasha jumped and she knew she had to do something. And the only thing she could think of was… "SIT!"

The hanyou came crashing down a foot away from Sesshoumaru, who lost no time in punching InuYasha's head against the ground, leaving him unconscious once more.

"What just happened here?", Sango murmured. Sesshoumaru alone heard her, but he knew the question wasn't necessarily directed to him. He could also feel Kagome's expectant eyes on him. A part of him was really annoyed that she hoped him to share whatever it was he knew. He owed nothing to no one.

That was when something clicked inside him. "Miko", he said in a quiet voice, watching her for her next reaction. She was also alpha of this pack, was she not? Did she not, then, also deserve to know what was happening to her companion? Yes, he did owe her something. When she looked up at him, he went on. "We need to talk. Come."

She blushed slightly under his gaze, and nodded. He turned and walked out of the clearing, expecting her to follow no doubt. They had been alone before, but never had he asked her to do it. It felt… Strange. And the butterflies in her stomach reacted wildly. She followed.

When they were finally alone, he turned to her, but remained silent for a moment, as though deciding something. "I-is something the matter, Sesshoumaru-sama?", she tried.

"InuYasha will need to be watched carefully from now on, until such a time when we are able to break the spell cast upon him", he said with no warning. "What we saw today was most likely the caster controlling him."

Kagome looked down thoughtfully. "So… It wasn't his fault, was it?" she asked, a few tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She refused to cry, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to help it.

Sesshoumaru smelt her tears, and was caught off guard for a moment, before recomposing himself. "Hn. That remains to be seen." He didn't want to crush the girl's hopes down, especially if it meant to spare him the trouble of a crying female, but he had a few guesses of his own as to the spell… And the prospect was not as good as he would've hoped, even for the hanyou. And even though she needed to know his half-brother's character was indeed under suspicion, there was no need to tell her all of that.

Kagome tried her best to control herself. Sesshoumaru didn't deserve to be forced into dealing with her frailness after everything he had already done. She took a deep, slow breath. And another. And another. When at last she was sure she wouldn't burst out crying, she looked up and met Sesshoumaru's gaze, which held a small hint of… Was that amusement? No, it was something else. Whatever it was, though, it made all those stubborn butterflies go back to fluttering and flying deep in her belly. Terrific!

The miko bowed and straightened up again before saying, gratitude shining through her smile. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama. For everything you've been doing for us lately." She paused. "And… I'm almost sure you're not telling me everything, but what you know is your own to share or keep, so... Thank you for trusting me with it."

With that, she turned around and headed back to camp, leaving a slightly wide-eyes demon behind her. She knew he had his own theories and that he wasn't letting them on? How? When had this onna gotten to know him so well?

He was also stunned by her words… She respected his not wanting to tell her everything and still thanked him? Did she do anything as he expected her to?


	16. Chapter 16 - On absorbing others

**A/N: Hey there!**

 **Thank you so much for the comments I've been receiving! You're wonderful! 3**

 **Esha Napoleon: Thank you so much!**

 **.X: That secret won't be kept a secret much longer. Haha**

 **Darknessdawns: Thank you so much. I appreciate your reviews a lot, you know. :)**

 **pgoodrichboggs: I can honestly say I really liked writing that too, although I don't plan on much more of those moments. I want Kagome to be really strong, and not depend on him that much.**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Glad you liked it! :) And not really, "hoped" was the word haha thank you so much, though.**

 **Someone made a somewhat rude comment, and I'm not gonna answer it (even though I REALLY wanted to and had a few funny comebacks), because I think this sort of thing should be discouraged. If there's something you don't like about my writing or you think could be better, you're more than welcome to say it (as many of you have already done). But say it exactly the way you'd like to hear/read it. Kindly. If not, at least have the courage to show your face, okay? Okay.**

 **So, this chapter means a pause for Sesshoumaru and Kagome. They can finally take a few deep breaths. (Or can they? Haha)**

 **Chapter 16: On absorbing other people**

Naraku stood behind Kagura, his eyes wide for what felt like the first time in over 50 years. The message Kagura had sent had brought him here as fast as he could. He watched on. And on. And on. Until he was sure what he was seeing was true.

He and his minion stood on the edge of a cliff, looking to a small seaside village, where The Shadow was having its way. It was really impressive, he would give it that. And all the power! Naraku wanted it for himself, and there was no way he could play a thing who could manipulate people's emotions and fears like that. Hm… He smirked evilly to himself. The spider knew exactly how to get what he wanted.

"Kagura…", he said in a low voice. She shuddered. Oh, how she hated when he spoke like that. It usually meant she would get into a whole lot of trouble.

"Yes, Naraku?", she answered, in spite of herself. What choice did she have?

"Bring that thing to me."

Her eyes went wide. What the hell was he thinking? He couldn't possibly believe they could subjugate the Shadow now, could he? Even with the shards he carried, it was just suicidal! He must have sensed her uneasiness, because she saw anger in his eyes and felt pain shot through her chest, dropping to her knees as she heard his voice. "You'll do as you're told, Kagura. Remember your place."

"Y-yes", she said while struggling for breath. The pain burning its way through her insides and the sadistic satisfaction burning its way through his mind called some attention to them.

Nodding and turning his gaze away from his minion, the spider focused on Kage. It seemed to be finished with the village. Maybe he wouldn't have to use Kagura in order to lure the thing, after all, since it was already coming their way. And fast, wide-eyed realization hit him.

Naraku barely had the time to go over his plan once more, for indeed Kage was upon him. And then it all started. Horrific scenes, a nightmare turn into reality before his eyes, all the more powerful and terrifying now thanks to the jewel shards and the pieces of the Four Souls in them. Kagura was caught in it too. All of them saw and felt the ultimate horror.

With all the pain the Shadow inflicted, the jewel shards became absolutely polluted. So much so that no purple was to be found in them. Only darkness. And Naraku, who for all effects held each and every one of those souls in the palms of his hands, had it the hardest of them all.

His howl of despair echoed through such great distances that Sesshoumaru, Shippou and Kirara were on edge for hours. To this day it is said that the beach over which he stood is haunted.

Afraid and desperate, Naraku could only think of one course of action. He must absorb the Shadow, lest it went on forever. If he had had any ulterior motive for doing so before, he now had none other than stopping all that suffering. As he expanded his own energy to surround the Shadow's, it made a swift move and soon owned them all.

Naraku was no more as he had been, but had suffered the very robbery he had imposed on others. And worse yet, he was still under the effects of Kage's powers.

The last though on his mind before everything was darkness and despair was regret. For the first (and the last) time in his life, Naraku regretted his own greed.


	17. Chapter 17 - The benefits of meditation

**AN: Hi there!**

 **I take it you like the last chapter? Muahaha**

 **In this chapter, our heroes are back. The InuYasha issue will be addressed more directly, and is walking to a resolution of sorts.**

 **Also, from now on, I'll start to put Kagome just where I want her for this fic, so watch her. (The problem with InuYasha has a lot to do with this process, actually.)**

 **The kind and sweet .X asked a good question, whether Naraku had really just died, and I think I can answer it right here: He didn't die. He was absorbed, and so became a part of the Shadow, just like every other youkai he himself absorbed became a part of him. That means that, while he is no longer himself, or just no longer, period, the Shadow now has his powers and may choose to bring him back like some sort of slave. I think he prefers to have died, in that case.**

 **I know it's a bit unusual, but I don't know… The idea got to me, I guess. Tell me what all of you think. :)**

 **Now I should warn you that this chapter is HEAVY. Not dark, but heavy. It's flooded with important information. Maybe we could call it a little** _ **deus ex machina**_ **? LoL**

 **Darknessdawns: Care to tell me what exactly got you confused? That way, I can try and make it better. Also, thank you for your review. I'm glad you liked it despite all the questions!**

 **Esha Napoleon: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!**

 **pgoodrichboggs: Yes, it is, and we need to understand that in order to understand exactly what Kagome and Sesshoumaru are facing.**

 **Dragonscloud: I'm going through a lot right now, but I will see this story completed, I can promise you that. It just might take a little while longer than I'd at first thought. Thank you for your support!**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Thank you so much!**

 **Chapter 17: The benefits of meditation**

It had been a few weeks since the packs' union, and the picture was not looking good. Not looking good at all.

InuYasha looked a little bit more like himself, but he was still acting weird. Extremely irritable, senses dull, picking up fights. Not with Sesshoumaru, which was totally predictable. Not with Shippou, the second most likely person. Not even with Miroku, who seemed to be doing his best to help the miko. No. With Kagome. Especially when Sesshoumaru wasn't around.

Whenever the taiyoukai went hunting, or she went fishing on her own, the hanyou would come after her.

He would try to hug her, just like he had on that day, weeks before. She would get away from him. That would annoy him and he would try again. When she avoided him once more, he would usually become aggressive. Not wanting to scream for Sesshoumaru, her only option was the kotodama.

On one occasion, she yelled so loud that Sesshoumaru was next to her in the blink of an eye, and started a fight with InuYasha, which lasted for nearly an hour. After that, she realized the taiyoukai shouldn't be able to hear her if she wanted to defend herself from InuYasha. She shouldn't need him - or anyone else for that matter - to stop him.

So, she took to meditate at every chance she had. It was very strange indeed that InuYasha left her be at times like these, but hey! She wasn't going to complain about it!

She meditated on the kotodama, on youki, on reiki. On the last one, she meditated so hard that, once, she got off the ground.

Sesshoumaru was watching her on that day. He wasn't one to go spying on people - it was beneath him, and others didn't (or shouldn't) interest him this much -, but had been worried about her spending time on her own after what he had seen. Yes, the enchanted beads had worked, but… What if it failed her? He was at ease with admitting that he cared for the girl as an alpha should care for a packmate.

What he saw impressed him. He watched with wide eyes as a pink light was born from her body, and it was raised a few inches from the ground. He had never even heard of anything of the like before. She was human! How was this even possible?

Deciding to just watch her for now, in case she needed him, and not to say anything, he left.

As Kagome left her trance, she had a slight notion of Sesshoumaru's presence earlier, but no more than that. What she did have was an idea. A great idea at that! And a feeling of utter stupidity for not having realized it before. She needed to test that theory!

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The following day proved to be the perfect opportunity, even though she didn't exactly look for one under those circumstances.

Kagome had gone out to meditate at sunset. She had managed to rise from the ground again, and found some very interesting things.

A hundred feet from camp, InuYasha caught up with her. She tensed.

"So, Kags… What're you up to?", he asked. The miko paused for a second. He was mostly quiet these days, and when he did speak, his voice was really weird. It was so hard, even when he tried to look nice - like when he tried to do whatever it was he wanted with her.

"What do you mean, InuYasha?"

"You wander off at the end of the day. I've left you alone 'cause you never come back smelling like the bastard or anythin', but yesterday you did come back different. Now you feel different too! What the hell, wench?"

"I've been meditating, that's all", she chose a half-truth. Maybe it would keep him calm? She didn't want a fuss right just now, even if she had a theory to test. Oh, well, all that wishing was for nothing, because he did get anger.

"And you're not gonna tell me why you, a useless girl with close to no power, all of a sudden decided to meditate? What, that bastard told you so?", he asked, getting closer and closer.

"InuYasha, don't make me do anything you might regret…", she tried. Her voice wasn't as steady as she would've wanted, but oh, what could she do.

"Is that a threat, wench?", he growled back to her.

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Sesshoumaru saw the moment when InuYasha just ran from the campsite, heading towards where he knew the miko was, and could only to so much to stop him from growling. This time, pack or not, he would have the whelp's head. Only a very small part of him, in a forgotten corner of his brain, registered what that thought sounded like.

He watched the exchange between the half-breed and the girl from behind the trees, as hidden as he could make himself. Had she not accessed her powers while meditating? Why wasn't she reacting? Perhaps, she wasn't ready to confront InuYasha face-to-face yet? If that was the case, he would need to intervene.

The lord cracked his fingers as his half-brother growled at her threat, taking a step closer. And then, it happened. Kagome's voice was barely audible, even for him. He thought he heard her say "sit", but couldn't be sure for the briefest split of a second. When the kotodama glowed and the boy met the ground head first, he was sure. And impressed. And worried. Could she control herself? And if she couldn't… Could he?

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Kagome's eyes went wide as she realized it had worked. She had cracked the spell on the kotodama. She finally knew how it really worked and, better yet, now she mastered it!

She heard something behind her and turned to see Sesshoumaru leave the tree line. "Sesshoumaru-sama! You scared me!", she said, a hand to her racing heart. He raised an elegant eyebrow. "Did you-did you watch the whole thing?"

"Hn", he said with a short nod. "You have been meditating on the enchanted beads. That is what you didn't want to tell the mongrel."

Not as much of a question as Kagome would have liked, but as close to one as she would get, she guessed.

"Well, yeah, sort of", she said. Could she tell him more? More importantly, should she? He hadn't told her everything, had he? Why should she? Just because… She breathed in deeply. Just because he had gained her trust, it didn't mean she had gained his. She needed to trust him and prove he could trust her. If she wanted them to achieve their common goals, they would need to work toguether. He watched her face and her scent and was at a lost. "And at the same time, not quite. I've been meditating on a whole lot of things… The kotodama, reiki, youki…" another pause. Then, at a much quieter voice "The Shadow too."

That piqued his interest. "What have you learned?" He hadn't told her of what the elder Myouga had said. He himself avoided that report as best as he could. No need to dishonor himself by telling her about that.

"N-not much, really." Kagome blushed hard, at which Sesshoumaru raised an elegant eyebrow. "Just that…Just that you and I will need to join forces of sorts. Like, really join forces. We need the deepest connection we can forge. That's the only way to defeat it."

After a short pause, she took a deep breath. "And there's something else too, Sesshoumaru-sama."

The very memory of what she had seen while meditating on that day made her blush and tremble all at the same time. She had been meditating on Kage, trying to access whatever her holy powers knew about it, and…

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 _After a few minutes of trying to focus, Kagome's mind went blank. A few minutes more and her body rose from the ground, and she received a very disturbing visit._

 _A woman came to her, her long, black hair contrasting with her pale skin, her body covered with an armour._ Midoriko? _, Kagome wondered. The ancient miko must have once been beautiful, but her face now was distorted with fear and distress._

" _Young Kagome, current guardian of the Shikon no Tama", Midoriko started, "This is my only chance of speaking to you, and I do not have much time. "_

" _Midoriko-sama?", the girl asked, to which the other woman nodded. "How is this even possible?"_

" _It matters not. There's not time for that. I have tidings for you.", Midoriko's voice was grave. That put Kagome's mind at work at once. Her back went stiff. Something bad must have gotten to the Shikon no Tama. Something really bad. Something far more dangerous than Naraku. Could it be…?_

" _Is it the Shadow?", she asked._

" _Hai, child."_

 _At that moment, a far corner in Midoriko's mind might have registered the determined look on Kagome's face, but her soul was too far gone into the delusions and suffering brought by the Shadow to see it. "What can I do to stop it?"_

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Midoriko had talked to her for no more than ten minutes, but it was enough to shock her. The news that Naraku had been absorbed, taking the jewel and the four souls in it with him, was alarming, and she told Sesshoumaru about those tidings. She didn't tell him all about how they had to do to rid the world of the Shadow, though. That sent those blasted butterflies inside of her into a crazed state.

The ancient miko had told her she would unite herself with the most powerful youkai to have ever lived in the most intimate way. Not through sex, no, even though that was sure to help get to where they needed to be. No. It would be a connection of souls. Their powers had to somehow merge. How the hell were they supposed to do that?

She had her theories about who this demon might be - it kinda had to be Sesshoumaru, right? But Midoriko wouldn't have played around that information if it was as simple as that. That was something she would have to work on later when…

"Midoriko told you all this?", Sesshoumaru's voice stopped her mid-thought.

"Sort of… I guess", she sighed. She just now realized how weird that all sounded. "I'm Kikyou's reincarnation, right? And she was Midoriko's reincarnation. That means that, even though Midoriko's soul is stuck forever inside the Sacred Jewel, I'm still connected to a piece of it."

Sesshoumaru had guesses as much. Who did the woman think he was? InuYasha? That did not explain, though, she was getting this information. As he raised his eyebrows, she noticed he still wasn't satisfied - and was probably a bit annoyed at her.

"Look, all reincarnations somehow carry the memories of their past lives, don't they? They're just hidden, since they're not my own, but they're inside of me. Everyone who meditates hard enough can eventually find the path to these memories. But since a part of my previous lives are still alive - in Kikyou's wandering body and in Midoriko's fight within the jewel…"

"...You should be able to access at least some information regarding their current condition", he completed her sentence. Now he saw how it was. Midoriko was just an image. That dialogue never really happened, but was the way her mind had chosen to register the finding. That didn't seem to bother the miko at all.

"Yep. Pretty much", she answered and, remembering InuYasha on the ground, she blinked and pointed to him. "None of it has helped me much with this yet, though. I still have no idea what the hell is wrong with him. I had thought maybe of Kikyou, but…"

"Your responsibilities are towards the Shikon no Tama and, consequently, the Shadow. Let me worry about the half-breed. Return to camp. It would not be wise for him to find you here.", the lord said.

The girl nodded and left. She so. Was. Not. In the mood for dealing with the hanyou's outburst once he woke up.


	18. Chapter 18 - Better late than never

**AN: Howdy! :D**

 **You know me, I rarely manage to update this fic two weeks in a row, so here's a Christmas present for you (or is it? LoL)! Merry Christmas, y'all!**

 **Also, I'd like to thank all of you for the wonderful Christmas present YOU've given me. OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE FOLLOWING THIS STORY! Thank you so, so, so much! I never really thought there'd be this much people interested, and I'm SOOOO excited and SOOOO happy! You folks are amazing!**

 **My summer vacations have just begun (a little later than usual, but who cares? LoL), so I hope to have more time to read and write and study without bothersome university papers. If that is the case, I'll be able to update more often throughout the next seven weeks or so. Here's to hoping, right? 3**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: I hope so! Haha Thanks!**

 **pgoodrichboggs: Thank you. Well, that's already started to happen. From now on, I think things are going to develop at a faster pace. LoL. We're at a turning point here, so pay attention!**

 **Esha Napoleon: Thank you! :)**

 **From the reviews, I get it that you were all waiting for some substantial SessKag moment, huh? Well, we're getting there! As you'll see, this chapter takes some precious steps towards our goal. Tell me what you think.**

 **I've experimented with language quite a lot in this chapter. I like doing that sometimes. I'd like your opinion on that also.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it (which perhaps is a bit conceited on my part, because I loved writing it).**

 **Read and review!**

 **Chapter 18: Better late than never**

After the kotodama incident, Sesshoumaru sat against a tree, deep in thought. InuYasha had been relatively docile after he woke. Relatively docile for InuYasha's patterns, that is. But the half-breed had kept a close eye on Kagome, and the lord's blood boiled at the look on his eyes.

Only now had the daiyoukai found the time to reflect on this pack union, the girl and whatever consequences both had brought upon his life. He made a mental list of items he had to go over, and began his mullings.

He enjoyed her scent. A lot, to be honest - and he always was. That, he had come to terms with a long time ago.

He was jealous of her. At first, he had thought it to be his position as a leader, his responsibilities towards her and her safety. But then, wasn't the slayer a member of his pack too? When the monk touched her, he was annoyed, but remained otherwise unaffected. When the monk touched Kagome, though, he saw red. He had had to stop himself from ripping the pervert's head from his shoulders. The same went for the next item on his list.

He was overprotective of her. What else could explain his need to be around in case she needed him, even when he knew she didn't not wouldn't need his help? She wasn't completely helpless, she had proved as much. And so, there was no need for him to protect her all the time. Was there? In the blink of an eye, he decided that, yes, there was.

He enjoyed her company. All the times he had taught her fishing, all the times he had been alone with her (or in the presence of beings he could somewhat ignore). He found her voice soothing, her smile contagious, and her worries maddening.

When she was angry, he found himself conflicted. On one hand, he thought she was absolutely beautiful, sensual even. On the other, he felt the need to gut whoever and whatever had angered her.

When she cried, it was even worse! She was still beautiful, and he wanted to comfort her. And his anger was even greater.

All these things he thought. All these things he weighed and pondered.

It took him a while, but at last he reached a conclusion. He was falling in love with the miko. His eyes went wide. He was falling in love with the miko. He looked at her, putting the children to bed, and she was beautiful. He was falling in love with the miko. He looked to InuYasha, who watched her with that strange look on his eyes, and was angered. He was falling in love with the miko. He looked down to his own hand. He was falling in love with the miko.

No.

That was wrong.

He was already in love with her. Probably had been for quite some time, and only now had the nerve to admit it to himself.

Lord Sesshoumaru had already made it his mission to protect her. To make her pack. For the sake of the Sacred Jewel and of the safety of his lands and his people. But now he saw what he should have seen before. That was not the only reason, and he did not want to relinquish that responsibility. Not now, and probably not ever, if his father's behaviour was anything to go by. And now he saw he was much more like his father than he had ever feared.

In love with a human, and willing to go to the lengths he was willing to go to make sure she was safe and well.

Well, even though that created a most infinite variety of problems and questions, at least that solved a problem. He wouldn't need to find any other solution for the Shadow problem. The elders' suggestion was more than acceptable.

At that moment, Sesshoumaru nearly slapped himself. He had totally forgotten about that for the whole week!

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Kagome finished telling Shippou a bedtime story - with Rin's help, of course - and both girls kissed him goodnight. On a regular day she would have found it cute. This wasn't a regular day, though. She could feel InuYasha's eyes trained upon her. He had the same look on them as he had had every time he had tried to approach her. The look that made her cringe.

The miko didn't want to acknowledge that look, so she kept her eyes low. She could also feel another pair of eyes on her at times, and these eyes she wanted to meet. She didn't want to risk a fight with InuYasha, now that the children were finally asleep and Miroku and Sango were chatting happily and peacefully at the far as possible from either of the inu brothers. At least they could get away from this mess, she thought as she chanced a glance towards them. She would very much like to keep them that way.

There was no need to put more weight on the burden Sango, Miroku and Shippou already carried on their shoulders. And so, because of them, she would refrain from doing anything the might end up in trouble. That unfortunately included testing the waters around Sesshoumaru and this shattering crush she had on him. Those butterflies that appeared every time he did anything towards her. Or when she thought about him, Which was constant, by the way. Or when she thought about how they were going to deal with Kage. These butterflies fluttered within her, and she was beginning to enjoy the sensation.

Kagome had her head stuck inside of her backpack, pretending to be looking for something, when she felt a pull on her soul. She looked up instinctively and met Sesshoumaru's gaze. He nodded in acknowledgement. He too knew Kikyou was around.

It was weird, to say the very least. Kikyou hadn't shown around for a few weeks now, so why come back now? One glance at InuYasha from the corner of her eyes told her he didn't know about the other miko's presence. He was glaring at them, that weird, angry look on his face. His sense were too jeopardized by whatever spell was on him.

She nodded to herself, making the decision she'd never thought she'd make. It might be a risk, yes, but it was one she needed to take. It was long overdue anyway. "I'll go get some more meditation done before we all retire for the night", she said as she rose to her feet and started walking away.

Unlike her vision concerning Midoriko, Kikyou was impossible to get while meditating. She had a suspicion that the undead miko was behind InuYasha's odd behavior, but hadn't been able to confirm any of that. It was like Kikyou's piece of her soul was blocked from her.

And so, she wasn't going to meditate, like she had tried to have InuYasha believe - for she knew Sesshoumaru would have been able to tell she was lying somehow. No. She was going to see what was up with her former incarnation with her own eyes instead.

Determination in her eyes, Kagome marched slowly, cautiously towards a point north of their campsite. A few miles later, the sight that met her made her eyes went wide. She kept her composure, though, and an angry glare met the creature accompanying Kikyou.

"Didn't fancy I'd see you again. Whatever brought you back from the dead…" she asked "...Urasue?"


	19. Chapter 19 - Spellcaster

AN: Hi there! ^^

I'm so sorry for the delay. These are my summer vacations, so I've travelled and all, but it also has been a very difficult month for me. January was practically over before I could come back to writing.

I hope you're still with me.

This chapter is kinda short, partly due to a certain muse who decided to go on vacation. It's not a filler though. You will see it explains facts I've been feeling like I owed you somehow.

Darknessdawns: Hey there! Glad to see you. And I'm quite surprised with your review! It makes me really happy that someone likes what I write that much, and I hadn't expected a review such as that in like… ever! Haha Thank you so much!

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Thank you so much!

pgoodrichboggs: Thanks! And it sure is. It won't be long now before it explodes.

I hope you like this.

Read and review. 3

Chapter 19: Spellcaster

To say Kagome was surprised was an understatement, and she was also quite scared too. It had been a mistake, coming here. She did a fair job at hiding it all, though, using a mask of indifference and annoyance. Sesshoumaru could teach more than just fishing, or so it seemed.

Kikyou stood there, colder than ever, and she looked blankly into the treeline the direction Kagome had come from.

"So… You're not gonna answer my question, Urasue?", she asked, narrowing her eyes, her bow and an arrow at the ready. What was the witch doing walking around with Kikyou? Hadn't the older miko purified her?

"The same person who ordered me to revive this one", the oni witch replied, tapping on Kikyou's shoulder, "woke me up." The old shrew paused and returned Kagome's glare, and her face was distorted by anger and hatred. "I died because of your damn soul."

Kagome had heard about Urasue's being purified into oblivion by Kikyou, the one she had just brought to life. Of course she would have been furious. Of course she would have wanted revenge. On both Kagome and Kikyou. And the witch had been summoned by one who too was bloodthirsty. But...

Naraku was supposedly dead, or as close to it as he could wish to be right now. That much Kagome had learned from Midoriko. So that meant Kage now had Naraku's powers, in addition to its own. As though it wouldn't be difficult enough to fight the both of them separately as it was!

The miko was surprised to be still breathing. She needed to get out of there as quickly as she possibly could! Then she had an idea! A brilliant one! She only wondered if it was possible. She had had very little training… Oh, well, there was only one way to know!

She raised her powers around InuYasha. Concentrating hard on him, she found her way through the spell that connected him to the two corpses.

Kagome closed her eyes and a silent word left her lips. Not waiting for the three loud bangs she hoped would come, she ran like never before.

Steps followed her. Quick steps. They didn't sound like InuYasha's though.

The girl was about to attack whoever it was that was following her when a clawed hand reached for hers, followed by a quite annoyed, and quite deep voice. "Miko, explain your hurry."


	20. Chapter 20 - Information

**AN: Hello, cuties!**

 **Did you like last chapter? I hope it wasn't too bad. Here's another one!**

 **Quite soon, isn't it? Since I had this one ready, I saw no reason not to try and make it up to you for the long delay.**

 **Funny little thing, muses are. One day, I don't even have the energy to write anything. The next day, I'm writing a new chapter for this fic and the first chapter for another. I won't be posting it just yet, but I'm already working on it. Yay!**

 **pgoodrichboggs: Hey there! That's good to know, and tank you so much!**

 **Darknessdawns: Thank you! And I do apologise. January really sucked. It took away all of my desire to write and study (I did half of what I'd planned on doing). I do hope february will bring a new light to 2017. And thank you again! 3**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: I'm glad you think so!**

 **This chapter is not thaaat long, but it'll give us another glimpse on what Sesshoumaru and Kagome are feeling right now. I know some of you will like it, and I hope it pleases most of you.**

 **Read and review. 3**

 **Chapter 20: Information**

Kagome's scream was blocked by another clawed hand to her mouth, as she was yanked backwards, her body meeting something hard. She looked up to see golden eyes. They were filled with annoyance and… something else. Something the miko didn't dare try and identify. But she guessed he hadn't been too happy with her absence.

Indeed he hadn't. He had stayed behind in camp and had been worried. He had been anxious. He didn't know how to deal with that. Plus, he knew she had gone after InuYasha, and that made him insecure; he had been so certain the girl no longer had feelings for the mongrel. Could it be she was still in love with him? Sesshoumaru hoped not!

Then, the daiyoukai had watched for any changes her aura, and sure enough Kagome had been afraid. That made his blood boil. And what followed made him start towards her: she had used the beads. He followed her scent and found her running.

Now, as he looked at her, he realized the scene was nearly too much for him. He held her in his arms. Suddenly, his question (or had it been an order?) didn't matter anymore. All he wanted was to let his lips meet hers. He better than that, though.

Yes, he was the great Sesshoumaru, the Killing Perfection. Yes, he was the most powerful daiyoukai. Yes, he had advantage over any other male in existence when it came to being an adequate choice for a mate. He knew none of it mattered, though, if he couldn't cast over her the same spell she had cast over him. And even he had to admit, that was easier said than done with any female. But with Kagome? He didn't even know where to begin.

Yes, he was the great Sesshoumaru, the Killing Perfection. But when it came to this kind of situation, he realized, his skills were useless.

Kagome had lost her breath. She felt helpless before him. Vulnerable even. Right at that moment, when he held her like that and looked at her like that, she knew he had her heart in his hands. If he knew it or not, she had no idea. And honestly hoped he never learned of it. She could only imagine what would happen then, and the picture wasn't looking too good.

She was just a plain, weak girl. A human miko. What could she possibly have to call his attention? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She wasn't deserving of his notice. But oh, how she wished she was.

The miko wished with all her heart she could just surrender to his embrace, but she knew it was not meant to be. A single tear threatened to escape her eyes

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she said. In desperate need to walk away from that situation, she took a few steps' distance and stared at him. She took a deep breath, just to make sure she could talk to him. "I have some information about the spell you suspected someone had cast on InuYasha."

His eyes widened a fraction. Back to business it was. She told him what she saw. He walked her back to camp, his eyes and ears as sharp as they had ever been, watching for InuYasha, Urasue, Kikyou or those blasted soul-collectors.

Later, while Kagome slept with the kit, Rin next to them as usual, the lord pondered. Not on the spell, no. They had decided together that there was next to nothing to think about at this point. No. He pondered on the smell of tears. Why would she cry? And why would she hide it?

There it was again. The urge to solve whatever the problem was, the need to dry her tears and comfort her. He didn't even know what the problem was! It couldn't be InuYasha, could it? They had discussed the mongrel's problem for some time, and she had seemed just as indifferent as she had for the last several months. Plus, she had brought it up after nearly crying, so it had to be an escape somehow. No. It must have been something else. He would need to figure it out if he planned on helping her with it. And indeed he planned on doing just that.

So, the first thing to do was to get information.


	21. Chapter 21 - Easy - or is it?

**AN: Hi, y'all!**

 **So, I know I should probably wait a few more days to post this chapter, so you lot won't have to wait too much for the next one, but tomorrow's my birthday (hurray! Happy birthday to me! - as if people cared LoL) and I wanted to get it out, you know? So here it is!**

 **A special thanks to my muse, who's back and active again!**

 **Undertheskys: I hope this is soon enough! Haha**

 **Darknessdawns: Well, they'll need to be, right? We'll see how soon the couple will manage themselves. LoL**

 **Babydolldls11: Thank you for reading it! I'm glad you like it!**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Don't worry. Someone will do that in due time. haha**

 **Chapter 21: Easy - or is it?**

The group's aim had changed since Kagome's meeting with Urasue. Sesshoumaru hadn't trusted anyone with that information, and had asked (he had actually asked!) Kagome to keep it to herself as well. At least for now. Therefore, no one was really sure where he was leading them now.

Yes, he had taken up to leading the group after that. InuYasha hadn't liked it one bit, and had changed his target ever since. Kagome was somewhat relieved, but she was also annoyed to no end. She had never been fond of the brothers' fighting, but her disapproval had much increased lately. No need to ask herself why.

The miko knew the daiyoukai was tracking Urasue down. But she also knew it wasn't through her smell. She wanted to ask him so badly about that. About other things as well. And she could use some time alone with him. To enjoy the look on his eyes - those indecipherable golden pools - if nothing else.

That luxury was lost to her. The luxury of meditation as well. InuYasha wouldn't leave her alone now. It was nearly impossible to get a chance to bath in peace nowadays.

To say she was royally pissed was an understatement.

The hanyou didn't talk much anymore, He grunted, growled and fought, but rarely uttered a single word. Kagome knew it must be the spell. Perhaps a consequence of its magic's clashing with the beads' like it had.

The tension was ever there. No one was able to let their walls down these days, and every little comment was enough to get InuYasha on a rampage - usually against Sesshoumaru, who could handle himself just fine, but there was no knowing who could be next. She was tired of it all. She wanted to have peace at least in her everyday life, instead of fighting wars both within and without her group.

The group needed to get rid of that blasted spell…And Kagome just might have an idea of how. If she could just leave the group and meditate for awhile, she would be able to test that theory and find some answers.

Using the hanyou's dull senses and her friends' attention to the children to her advantage, she marched to the tree beneath which Sesshoumaru was sitting, knelt and whispered "I need some help".

He nearly missed her voice, but what he heard piqued his interest immediately. She needed help? And she had chosen him to help her? "What for?", he asked. Usually that would sound rude and demanding, but something in his voice sounded soothing.

The girl smiled shyly at him, blush tainting her cheeks. "About InuYasha's problem, I think I have an idea, but I'd need some time alone to test it." She paused, and he could see the nervousness and the embarrassment marking her face. "I know it's probably too much to ask, but…"

"You wish me to gain you time. I would probably need to engage him or something of the sort", he completed her sentence. Of course it was too much to ask. But of course he would do it. Especially if it meant getting rid of such a nuisance. Especially if it meant going back to tracking Naraku - or whatever had become of him. And most of all, especially if it meant having her smile at him - even in such a shy and embarrassed way as that - more often. He had no problems in admitting he would go to the very end of the world for her - not that he was ready to tell her that. Her expectant look told him, though, that he did need to tell her something. "It will be done."

Kagome's eyes went wide. When he started talking, she had been sure he'd say no! He had helped her enough, she thought. And she was sure he agreed. But he kept on helping her. It made her feel special somehow. A wide smile spread through her lips, and she could only do so much to stop herself from throwing herself in his arms in a tight hug. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama!", she said. "Just let me know when you're ready and I'll sneak away."

She got up and walked to the others to join them, leaving him to decide when he would "be ready". And so, Sesshoumaru tried to formulate a plan. One that wouldn't get the whole group in InuYasha's defence. He wouldn't be helping Kagome if she had to stop him from killing all of her friends - and she certainly wouldn't like him for that either. They would need to think it had been indeed the hanyou's fault, instead of his own. Well, that could be easily arranged, given his half-brother's recent behaviour.

Two days later, the perfect opportunity presented itself. They had stopped for lunch when InuYasha spoke for the first time in day. He was sitting on a tree branch. "Sesshoumaru…", he growled as he jumped back to the ground, his eyes turned down, and his rash, low voice surprised everyone. It sent Rin and Shippou into hiding behind Ah-Un. Jaken, Sango, Miroku and Kirara took steps back, as Kagome prepared to get in the brothers' way. "I'm done with your scent all over the wench. You've got no business with her."

The puppy-eared young man touched the hilt of the Tessaiga before speaking again, and the miko felt his aura shifting, just like last time. "She's mine. And you ain't got no business around her. Got it?"

Sesshoumaru was always cool and poised. But at that moment, his blood boiled. Hearing someone else - InuYasha, most of all - claiming Kagome like that was maddening. His eyes narrowed, and Kagome saw in his eyes an anger she didn't remember seeing in any situation, but when Rin's life was on the line. She couldn't quite understand why that was, though.

The girl looked at him with worried eyes. He didn't look at her, his eyes trained on his rival, but he nodded at her. As soon as the daiyoukai touched the hilt of his Bakusaiga, InuYasha jumped. She knew then what she had to do. But she couldn't. She just couldn't.

Sesshoumaru unsheathed his sword, preparing for the impact.

Kagome closed her eyes, feeling the worry and the fear rising, taking her powers along with them. And then… The whole world stopped. She never heard the two swords clashing, or the yells and shouts that usually followed.

Through the shadow of closed eyes, she saw images forming in her mind, as though she were meditating. She saw the scene she had just seen, but she saw InuYasha's aura. It was deformed. And linked to something not very far. It was Kikyou, who was herself link to Urasue.

The miko felt her powers swirling around her and she knew she would be able to try and cut the last link. She could rid her former incarnation of the witch's spell and, thus, try to save InuYasha. And it was done. Kagome didn't know how, but she had managed it. It actually had been much easier than she had ever expected.

Then, the world went back to normal, and it was like everything was in slow motion. The girl was exhausted. Tired beyond anything she had ever felt before. With one last breath of power, she created a barrier between the two swords, and as they clashed into it, both men were thrown back. That was all she saw before darkness took her.

Sesshoumaru landed on his feet just in time to see her falling. As fast as he could, he picked her up and brought her to his chest. He was confused. He was worried. He was damn terrified. The woman he hoped to make his lady was unconscious in his arms, and he had no idea what had just happened to make her so. And when he did find out, no one was going to be able to save the responsible from his wrath. That was a promise.


	22. Chapter 22 - Emergency hut

**AN: *waves shyly* Hi!**

 **So, what did you think of last chapter? I had been wanting to bring [risk]sexy[/risk] chivalrous Sesshoumaru back for a while now. I think I quite enjoyed how he turned out to be… What do you think? Well, I hope you liked it, because HERE'S MORE OF IT!**

 **Undertheskys: Thanks! :D**

 **Darknessdawns: Why, thank you so much! From now on, I hope there will be more and more of that!**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Thank you. I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Chapter 22: Emergency hut**

While Sesshoumaru landed gracefully on his feet after the impact and ran to Kagome's aid, InuYasha fell head first into the ground. It left him feeling dizzy for a minute or so. That explained why he looked at the scene before him with great confusion.

On one hand, it was like a fog was being lifted, and he was looking at the world for the first time. On the other, there was something he KNEW he should never see in anything but a dream - and one of those crazy, nonsensical dreams at that. His bastard of a brother, kneeling in the middle of the clearing as he held an unconscious Kagome in his arms, while everyone looked at him with fearful eyes. _Hell!_ , he thought. Sesshoumaru was the Killing Perfection, not him! Speaking of which...

"OI! Whada hell are ya here for, Sesshoumaru? Don't you dare hurt Kagome! Get away from her before I rip you apart, you bastard!", he growled.

Sesshoumaru saw red. His grip on Kagome's body tightened, and he growled. Only then did he look up to the whelp. "Get no closer, hanyou." His voice was low, raw and deadly. So much so that all the present stared at him in surprise. Jaken mentally noted that nothing he could recall had ever made his master this angry.

The daiyoukai's eyes were trained on InuYasha's, and the hanyou was a little scared. That didn't shake his conviction, though. He would get Kagome to safety, even if it cost him his arm - talk about irony here. "Or what? Y-ya really think I'm gonna let you hurt her just because I'm afraid?"

Sesshoumaru stood up, the girl's body still tenderly pressed against his chest, and snarled. "Hurt her, little brother? Who are you to talk…?", but he was cut by the soft sound of Kagome's heartbeat quickening. Too quick for comfort. Her aura had been strange from the moment she fainted, and now it was just weird, as though too weak to keep on touching his youki. It had never happened before, and it didn't feel right. Nevermind the whelp. She needed help. They were at a two-day flight's distance from Edo, and the old miko who lived there was the only one he knew the girl to fully trust.

Making up his mind, he took off, hoping the elder would be able to find what the problem was.

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"Kagome!" and "Sesshoumaru-sama!" were shouted at the same time. Sango and Jaken exchanged an awkward, worried look, and were startled by InuYasha's soft voice "WHERE THE HELL IS THE BASTARD TAKING KAGOME?"

Shippou had tears in his eyes when his spoke angrily. "Shut up, baka! It's your f-fault - It's your fault if Okaa-san isn't well…", he tried to finishing his sentence, but soon started crying. Rin picked him up and tried soothing him in a soft voice, while Kirara and Ah-Un puffed and played around them to help. Nothing worked.

InuYasha was nothing short of shocked. He knew he could catch Shippou by the tail and shake him, but why was the brat defending Sesshoumaru like that? Seeing the confusion in the hanyou's eyes, Miroku put 2 and 2 together. "You don't remember, do you, InuYasha?"

"What exactly is it that I should remember, monk?"

Miroku thought for a moment. "It's difficult to say. What is the last thing you remember?"

"I… I remember wanting to go after Kikyou on the full moon", he said in a low voice, embarrassment taking over. "Kagome was out fishing or something."

"That was over two months ago, InuYasha", Sango said with a sigh. "Much has changed since that, and you were the main cause of it all."

"T-two months? But how come I don't remember any of that?"

Sango turned to Miroku, "You've got a long way to go, monk" and turned to help Rin soothe Shippou.

Miroku realized she was right. But there was no way on this earth that he was going to tell his friend of all that had passed, and since they would stay here for a while, seeing as they didn't know where Sesshoumaru-sama had taken Kagome-sama... "Come, InuYasha. I think it's time for you to learn some meditation."

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Sesshoumaru was feeling odd. He didn't remember ever having felt this tired before. Well, he didn't remember ever having gone this fast before either. Kagome's heartbeat was steady. Steady as in "neither faster, nor slower than when he had took off". It was, therefore, still too quick for him to be comfortable. Human hearts didn't usually beat this fast, and when they did it could never be a good sign.

They were almost in Edo. Only a few more hours to go.

The lord look down at the miko in his arms. Come what may, he was going to save her. She was going to be all right.

His feet touched the ground and he ran towards the old miko's hut, who stared at him with wide eyes. "She needs care, elder", he said impatiently. That seemed to bring the old woman out of her stupor for she motioned for a cot, where he moved to place the girl in his arms.

"I need ye to tell me what happened, Sesshoumaru-sama", Kaede said, as she moved her hands over the Kagome's body, letting her holy powers touch the girl's skin. Sesshoumaru told the tale in a few words, letting out only the information he judged absolutely necessary for Kagome's sake. Only then did he old woman managed to understand the strangeness she felt on the girl's aura. "It's a rare thing, Sesshoumaru-sama, to see a miko in this state. The only holy energy left in her is that deepest within her soul. Whatever she did before stopping ye and yer brother might have been quick, but it sure wasn't easy on her."

"Is it permanent?", he asked, trying his hardest to keep his cool.

Kaede sighed. "Like I said, it's not something you see everyday, Sesshoumaru-sama. But…" she looked at the girl from the future fondly, which did not escape the daiyoukai "But Kagome is the strongest, purest person me sore eyes have ever seen."

He then lowered his eyes to the sleeping form on the cot and felt powerless. The look on his eyes, Kaede noticed, was sweet and worried. The old woman felt the need to try and comfort him. Knowing better than to touch him, she cleared her throat and bowed when he looked back at her. "She'll be all right, Sesshoumaru-sama. You'll see", then raised herself from the floor and left. She needed to gather some water and herbs which would, luckily, help Kagome get back on her feet.

Now, her hearing might not have been what it had once, but she wasn't deaf. She did hear the young lord whispering, and was as close to taken aback as she could have been.


	23. Chapter 23 - Why's he doing it anyway?

**AN: What's up? I'll tell what's up: another chapter is up! \o/**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who's been reading, reviewing, following and favoriting this story! You guys can't imagine how awesome it is for me to know that you actually like it!**

 **Pawz: I'm glad you liked it! Yeah, I ended up leaving that aside, but I'm not using as many Japanese words anymore, and I basically gave up on using too many new words, but here's our good ol' glossary as a special guest! 3**

 **Darknessdawns: Here you go! But that's not something you'll learn on this chapter, sorry! Haha I'm glad you like it!**

 **Undertheskys: Thanks!**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: I guess we'll have to wait and see. Haha**

 **So, as I said to Pawz, attention to this very special word which will come in our glossary (yes, it's back for this chapter), It's very often used in InuYasha fanfics, specially SessKag, but I still think it's a good idea to put it here, so there it goes.**

 **I hope y'all like it.**

 **Read and review. 3**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Koishii: Beloved, darling, dear, wanted.**

 **Chapter 23: Why's he doing it anyway?**

InuYasha was annoyed. They had been at it for over three days, and yet he had collected no memories, but small fragments. And those usually were about him fighting with Sesshoumaru. Miroku wasn't going easy on him, though, and each time he talked about giving up, the stern look on the houshi's purple eyes was enough to make him remember the first time he had mentioned it.

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 _Sesshoumaru had flown away with Kagome, and Miroku had had the hanyou in position of the lotus for quite a while. InuYasha was fidgety, sitting in front of Miroku, who looked like the sea on a good day._

 _The hanyou tried closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing, but that was much easier said than done. At the end of the first hour, he stood up and began pacing. "It's no use, houshi! I can't focus while she's with that bastard!"_

" _Sesshoumaru-sama will keep Kagome-sama wherever they are until she's healthy again, InuYasha. We don't know what happened to her, and we don't know how long it'll take her to be fine again. So I suggest you do this", the young man replied. His friend was r-e-a-l-l-y trying his patience. Well, he supposed he'd just have to sting him a bit. "And besides you're the reason why they left in the first place, and you don't even understand how that came to be."_

 _InuYasha froze, and the monk knew he had him. "Keh… Fine. I'll give it a go."_

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Now, at dawn of the fourth day of exercises, the hanyou's patience was wearing thin once again.

More than that the practice the houshi was forcing upon him, he could barely stand the look on the kit's face. Damn, the boy was devastated, and clearly blamed it all on him! Shippou's eyes were ever angry and watery. Sesshoumaru's ward - Rin, if he recalled correctly - also looked at him with judging eyes. InuYasha had heard her complain to Sango. "He's mean! He hurt Kagome-sama, and now Sesshoumaru-sama has to be away to save her… I miss them", she had said. InuYasha had noticed how, in Kagome's absence, the girl had taken up to caring for the fox youkai. Sango seemed to only help her when really necessary.

The demon slayer too wasn't being the most friendly to him.

His brother's retainer was the same old pain, with the addition of also blaming him for the bastard's not being there. And the dragon… Gee! He had never thought they could be that vicious! Both heads took turns in burning him!

It seemed everyone in that group was mad at him, and Miroku wouldn't just tell him why! It was really annoying not knowing what had happened. It really was. He'd much rather just apologize to Kagome and be done with it! Why did he need to remember it all anyway? Just to be ashamed?

But oh, well, while she was away kami knew where with that bastard - and he'd really need to have a conversation with her about it when she came back -, he should probably try and improve things for himself. And the only way he could do it was trying, or least pretending to try, to meditate.

So, annoyed as he was, here we had him, sitting in a lotus position in front of Miroku, his eyes closed. His breathing wasn't as calm and the monk would like it to be, but there was nothing to it.

Miroku was kind of frustrated at his hanyou friend. And it wasn't the lack of progress that bothered him the most - although it did bother him a bit. No. It was the reason for said lack that was the problem. The houshi could see through InuYasha's attempts of pacifying them all: he wasn't really trying to remember. But there was something which could help. Miroku still had one card he could play. It wasn't something he would later be proud of, he knew, but perhaps it was the only way to make the hanyou stop being angry at his brother for taking Kagome away, and start understanding at what point their group stood right now.

Singing an ancient chant, the monk allowed his breathing to change. He was already in a trance when InuYasha lost sight of himself as he was at that moment.

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Half an hour later, Miroku left his meditative state, only to find InuYasha nearly sobbing. "What did you do, monk?", the hanyou asked in a weak voice. It was a bit of a shock, but the houshi recovered quickly enough.

"Why, InuYasha, I helped us reach meditation", he answered nonchalantly. "What did you see?"

"I remember now", was the answer. Now InuYasha could clearly see why a simple apology wouldn't do. He would really need to talk to her. And, after following Kagome and nearly attacking her more than once, he doubted she would trust him enough for a conversation like that.

"Now you understand, don't you?"

"Yeah. I do, monk", InuYasha said with a sigh. "Only thing I don't get, though, is how it all got to that."

"I don't either, to be completely honest", Miroku said and stopped, thinking for a moment. Yes, perhaps it was time to give the hanyou a chance to prove himself again. "But that doesn't mean your brother doesn't, though. Maybe he has a theory of his own?"

"I don't remember why it all happened, though", and he paused, suddenly realizing what Miroku had said. "Why's he around all the time, anyway?", InuYasha let out a quiet growl. He knew he had messed up badly, but that didn't mean he liked his bastard of a half-brother (half, mind you!) walking around with his group, least of all Kagome!

"You remember the first time you attacked Kagome-sama?", the monk asked, to which his friend nodded and looked down in shame. "Well, that day, he helped her. We didn't see him do it, though. When we arrived, she gave us a very brief report of what had happened and told us Sesshoumaru would be joining us in our search from then on."

"And you guys were just okay with that? What are you, crazy?"

Miroku's eyes narrowed. "Look, InuYasha, Kagome-sama trusts your brother. I don't know when it started, nor why, but we'd need him in order to get rid of Naraku anyway. We weren't managing both finding the shards and dealing with you all at once, and he seemed willing to help", he knew he was being harsh, but just remembering what had happened apparently hadn't been enough. "Kagome had been caring for us all. Still is. For all that matters, she is more of a leader than you have been for quite a while. Sesshoumaru's made it a lot easier for her by being here."

The houshi rose to his feet. "You're still our friend, InuYasha. But consider the things you do remember, and try to understand to rest, and maybe you'll see why I say I won't have a problem with him staying, if he and Kagome decide it. And nor will any of the others, I'm sure."

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Kagome's eyes were shut tight. She felt exhausted, but she had no control whatsoever over her body. She couldn't sleep, move or speak - she had tried them all. It was like But still she was somewhat aware of her surroundings. The feeling of Sesshoumaru's arms and chest against her body, the harsh wind against her skin - like nothing she had ever felt before -, his and Kaede's voices and what they were saying.

Not for the first time since the journey had begun, she wondered why he was going to such lengths to keep her safe - and couldn't help a not so small bit of wishful thinking and hope.

The miko felt the older woman's aura touching hers, and sleepiness finally began to manifest. She knew (and hoped) she should be able to sleep off the exhaustion.

Kaede and Sesshoumaru were talking again. Kagome could hear their voices, but not quite grasp what they were saying. And then silence again, and she wasn't sure if they had stopped talking or if she had stopped listening altogether.

That is, until she heard something. Sesshoumaru's voice, soft as a whisper. "Don't leave me, koishii. Not now I finally understand… Someone to protect..." And then it was all blissful darkness, her much needed rest.


	24. Chapter 24 - News travel fast

**AN: Hello, all you lovely ones!**

 **First of all, to the reviews on the last chapter! Thank you guys so much for them all!**

 **Ashatan87: Hi! Welcome aboard! I'm so happy you've liked it! I hope you keep liking it**

 **lara5170: Thank you! I hope you enjoy this next one too!**

 **pgoodrichboggs: Good to see you! Haha And yes, the feels! There'll be a lot more of those!**

 **Darknessdawns: I'll be trying a few more POVs over the next chapters. I hope you guys like them too! I'm glad you liked the last chapter so much! Thank you!**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Glad it had this effect on you! And here's more 3**

 **Undertheskys: Thanks :D**

 **So, I wasn't exactly going for such a cliffhanger last time. It's becoming a habit, I suppose… haha! That just seemed the right way to end it.**

 **Chapter 24: News travel fast**

Kagome was unconscious for two days. In the meantime, Kaede had almost gone crazy with Sesshoumaru around. Seriously, that daiyoukai needed something to do. Anything. She couldn't tend to Kagome properly if he kept such overprotective watch over the girl, who she knew the lord was fond of, to say the very least.

Oh, yes. She could read him. In that particular sense, anyway. His eyes softened when he looked at her. That and the obvious fact that he had obviously used all of his power to get her here as quickly as he could were proof enough that he was worried about her. More worried than InuYasha had ever been.

So, she knew he meant no harm fussing like that. Still, it was getting on her nerves. The elder needed a way to get some time alone with her patient in order to care for her properly.

Also, wouldn't the others be worried? How had they been with no news on their friend? Little Shippou would be heartbroken. He looked to the young miko like his own mother, and was just now reaching his sixth decade of life - still too young for a young youkai to be able to fend for himself. Too young to lose his parents. Too young to lose the person who took him in.

Plus, it'd be very comforting for the girl to have him around.

Yes, this stone would kill more than one bird at the same time.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?", she called. "When did ye leave the others to bring Kagome here?"

"It's been four days", was his answer.

"I see", she replied, nodding. "I believe, Sesshoumaru-sama, the others will be very worried about Kagome. It would be extremely kind of ye if you could take the time to send them word. Perhaps there's a way ye know of for her little kit to get here? She would be very happy to see him when she wakes up..."

The lord narrowed his eyes. He was no messenger. And he couldn't just leave Kagome alone. Not for so long. But the old woman was right. The kitsune was important to her, and it wouldn't do for her to wake up away from the people dearest to her. Her well-being was far more important, he realized, than his need to be around her. It had been selfish of him, not to mention foolish, not to have thought of that sooner.

He nodded and left the hut, preparing for another long flight. This would be significantly shorter, though. He'd be able to summon Ah-Un from a shorter distance and save him the trouble. The dragons would find their way of communicating his orders to Jaken.

The daiyoukai expected to be back at the old woman's hut - and at Kagome's side - in three days maximum.

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Night had fallen swiftly over the forest. Another day gone by and no news.

Sango watched the children. Shippou was still sad. Unspeakably so. He seemed to make his very best to look strong in front of Rin and the others, but there was an everlasting watery glimmer to his eyes that did not escape hers. It had been five days since Sesshoumaru left with Kagome, and nothing had been easy. Nothing at all.

She knew the miko would be proud of him.

Rin was now telling him a story, and Sango was fairly certain involved Sesshoumaru - his name wasn't being mentioned, but the description was there, wasn't it? - and some girl he was supposed to fall in love with.

"I wish the girl could be Okaa-san", the young kitsune said in a small voice.

Sango couldn't help but cut in the conversation. "Why's that, Shippou-chan?"

The boy's eyes went wide and he blushed, looking down. "Because Okaa-san is always taking care of everyone. She takes so much care that she forgets to take care of herself. She needs someone to take care of her", he stopped, a small sob escaping his lips. "I'm too little and can't take care of her. If Sesshoumaru-sama loved her, he'd take care of her while she's too busy with everyone else…"

He started crying quietly, and was soon picked up by Rin, who proceeded in calming him and kissing him goodnight, laying him on Ah-Un's belly. She had tried Kagome's sleeping bag, but that had only made it all worse, instead of soothing him as she had thought. Upon returning, she flashed a sad smile to Sango. "He is right, Sango-sama. If Kagome-sama hadn't been so busy with the rest of us, she'd be able to rest more, to train more."

Sango sighed. "I know, Rin-chan. I just don't think your lord could be in love with a human, and even though he is powerful and a good leader, I don't think it's a good idea to encourage Shippou to think about it", she replied. "He's already lost two parents, and is afraid of losing a third. Hoping to have a father again and not being able to accomplish it wouldn't do him any good. Try to keep that in mind, okay?"

Sango wished the girl good night and went to her cot. RIn watched her go with a knowing glint to her eyes. She knew her Sesshoumaru-sama very well. And she hoped with all her heart both he and Kagome-sama would be happy. And plus, it wasn't like she was too old for wishing for a mother, right?

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A few hours into the night, something heavy moved over the camp. It agitated Ah-Un terribly. Jaken knew the both heads to be extremely calm in most circumstances, so when one of them started pointing at him and the other at the kit in an almost desperate manner, he could only assume it meant Sesshoumaru-sama had used his royal command over the beasts to convey his message.

The kappa did not hold that ability, though. He couldn't communicate to them as his lord could. And so, he would have to guess what said message was and fast!

The first hint was the directions both heads were pointing. Jaken decided to try and do some tests. Following his logic of annoyance at everything concerning the group his master had decided to accompany, he first tried getting further away from the boy, which only resulted in more agitation. _So, it's the other way around?_ , he thought as he started walking towards the child. That seemed to satisfy the dragon to a certain degree, for they started moving their heads in different ways again. Now, as one head kept pointing at Shippou, while the other pointed at the direction towards which Sesshoumaru-sama had flown five days ago.

"Does my lord wish us to take the miko's kitsune somewhere?", he asked, to which one of the heads nodded. "Do you know where he wish us to take him?" The other head nodded.

A bit annoyed at having to be in such close proximity with a child, but not crazy enough to disobey Sesshoumaru's orders, he quickly ran to wake Rin. No way was he going to leave her behind with the half-breed. The daiyoukai would have his head!

"Girl!", he called, poking her side with his staff. She stirred and opened her eyes slowly.

"Jaken-sama? What is it?", she asked, her voice sleepy.

"We're leaving! Now! Sesshoumaru-sama ordered we take the kitsune somewhere!", he said, turning and starting to prepare Ah-Un, leaving the girl to pick the kit up. The kappa wasn't exactly screaming, but he wasn't that worried about not disturbing the others either. It was no surprise, then, when InuYasha jumped from the branch he was resting on.

"What do ya mean 'take the kitsune somewhere'? Where's the bastard taken Kagome? And who the hell do you think you are to just take Shippou and leave?", his voice woke Sango and Miroku. "And how the hell do you know what the ice-prick wants when he is leagues away from us?"

"It's none of your business, hanyou!", the toad youkai screeched in return. Rin was already placing the miko's backpack on top of Ah-Un, a half-awake Shippou on her other arm. "Shessoumaru-sama has sent his orders. If you wish to follow, that's your choice, but you. Will. NOT! Stop me from following my honorable master's orders!" At that, he leaped on top of Ah-Un, where Rin already sat.

Sango stared with wide eyes as they took off. After a few seconds, Miroku gently touched her arm. "Sango, dear, what's the matter?"

"I… I don't think I've ever heard the toad speak so much before…", she said quietly. "His voice is worse than I had thought it was..."

"Nevermind that! We gotta follow them!", InuYasha barked. Miroku sighed. His hanyou friend had come back… Grumpier than ever, or so it seemed. Quickly collecting their gear, the two humans mounted on Kirara, who took off, following closely their puppy-eared companion.


	25. Chapter 25 - Waking

**AN: Hi, everyone! *waves her hand***

 **I hope you guys enjoyed last chapter.**

 **I'm so sorry for the wait. In the beginning, I was trying to write a longer chapter than I'm used to. I wanted to give you more to read this time - which I somewhat managed, I believe. Then, I got kinda sick. I went to the hospital, stayed the night there and all. I already had a lot written (most of it, actually), but I was in no way fit to do anything.**

 **Trinabear: Thank you so much for your review! Yes, I'm planning a chapter just to explain what it is, although some things about it do not really matter for this story, so I won't be going into that level of detail. How Sesshoumaru and Kagome will defeat it is actually one of the only things about the end I have planned since the very beginning of this fic, and I've already been hinting at part of the process. Haha We're still a long way before they're anywhere near ready for it, though.**

 **Morgean: Glad you like it! And what exactly is it that you found confusing? Maybe I can answer some of your questions. I didn't think it necessary to say it as it wasn't such a relevant piece of information to the story (at least I didn't think so). But yeah, he's got two arms. Thank you so much for your review!**

 **pgoodrichboggs: Of course! That's the best InuYasha ship ever! Haha 3 And Kaede is old and wise, she could easily pull this off.**

 **Ashatan87: Rin would be around 10 or 11 years old at this point. She met Sesshoumaru at about 6 or 7, and it's been four years since the beginning of the manga, so… Yeah. that's about it. You have to remember, though, that at this age (and at this time) she'd be just a few years away from the proper age to be married. Plus, lots of kids this age even nowadays are already responsible for their younger siblings.**

 **Darknessdawns: I think we'll have to wait a little bit longer for that, but yes, chaos is coming!**

 **Undertheskys: Thank you. Here's the next :)**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Their wish is common to us all. LoL**

 **sllmidnight: Thank you so much! I do hope to meet your expectations and that you keep liking it!**

 **On this chapter, there'll be A WHOLE LOT OF FLUFF! We will be focusing solely on Kagome and Sesshoumaru here, on her recovering her strength and on their developing relationship. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!**

 **Oh, and I just wanted to add that I've started working on both chapters 26 and 27! Not sure when those will be ready, but one of the reviewers gave me quite the idea I was looking for! Thank you so much, guys!**

 **That being said, now you have reat reasons to read and review. Tell me what you think. 3**

 **GLOSSARY:**

 **Baa-chan: Grandmother**

 **Chapter 25: Waking**

Kagome heard something. A soft voice. It sounded so familiar, so tender. She just couldn't identify it. The voice wasn't speaking, no. It was humming a sweet melody, which also sounded both familiar and tender. She found she couldn't recognize either. Trying harder to focus, she realized it was a woman's voice. It was a little bit raw, as if tired. Then, the miko connected the dots. _Kaede-baa-chan!_ But how was that possible? She remembered stopping a fight between InuYasha and Sesshoumaru just before she passed out…

Then, it all came back to her. Everything that had happened between the fight and the moment she finally fell asleep. "Don't leave me now, koishii… Not now I finally understand… Someone to protect…", he had whispered. Oh, how badly she wanted to be sure of it! How badly she wanted to know exactly if she had heard him correctly!

The humming voice suddenly stopped, and Kagome was brought back to reality. She was lying down on something soft, probably a cot. She felt a warm fabric covering her body and figured it should be a blanket. She opened her eyes and found Kaede looking through the door. Trying to speak, the girl felt her dry throat make itself known and gasped.

That was when Kaede noticed her young charge now awake and went to her side as fast as her legs would allow her, a bowl with water in her hands. "There, child. Ye shouldn't speak right just now. Give yerself some time", she said as she helped Kagome reach her lips to the bowl. "Now, I wish you to tell me what you remember." A few moments later, the girl felt good enough to try again, and told most of what she felt and heard. When she finished, she decided it was a good time as ever to get the answers she needed

"Kaede-baa-chan, where are the others?" Was the first question that popped to the front of her mind. Not finding Sesshoumaru or her friends made her a bit uneasy. Why weren't they with her? Were they okay?

The elder looked at her for a moment before responding. "Sesshoumaru-sama left the day before last in the morning. I asked him to bring Shippou. It's just sad he couldn't return before ye woke up…", she paused. "The other will follow, methinks. Ye had me worried sick, ye know", the old miko said playfully.

"He… he went away just so Shippou could be with me?" Kagome was slightly nervous. Did that mean he had actually said that? Her breath faltered when she felt Sesshoumaru's massive aura a few leagues away. He was back!

"Ah, he's on his way", commented the oldest of the two women. "But, first, child, I wonder if ye wouldn't mind telling me what exactly happened. There was only so much InuYasha's brother could tell me…"

Kagome looked at her and suddenly realized how it all must have looked to everyone. None of they could see what she saw, and so all they perceived was her blocking the two inus' attacks and then blacking out (or almost). It must have absolutely frightened them! And Sesshoumaru left without telling them where he was going, if she had heard correctly (and she didn't have much reason to believe she hadn't). He didn't know exactly what she had done before their fight either, so obviously her care-taker only knew so much. Nodding, she slowly sat up, took a deep breath and started telling the village's miko all that had taken place, as Kaede's eyes widened. When she finally finished, Sesshoumaru was much, much closer, and Kaede looked absolutely awed.

"Ye have done a wonderful job in cultivating yer powers, child. Few mikos and houshis are ever able to accomplish what ye have", she said. "And now I see why ye were out for so long. Yer body must have been almost too tired for a while before what happened on the day ye saved Kikyou and InuYasha."

"I don't think i really have, though, Kaede-baa-chan", the young miko replied. "It's not like I've managed to kill Urasue again. She's still out there, I'm sure."

"She will not be a threat to my pack", a deep voice resonated through the hut. Both women turned to see Sesshoumaru standing at the doorway. Kagome gasped as she looked at him. She was sure Kaede wouldn't be able to notice it, not knowing him as well as her, but watching him closely, she could see him panting. His chest armor trembled ever so slightly and his lips weren't shut in such a fine line as they usually were. It was a vision she wouldn't be able to get out of her mind for a long time!

"S-Sesshoumaru!", she whispered, her voice growing weak at the sight of him, so intensely was he watching her.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I'm glad to see ye back", Kaede politely greeted, bowing. "When should I expect Shippou?"

The daiyoukai ak owl edged the old woman with a nod before replying. "Ah-Un and Jaken should arrive with both the kit and Rin tomorrow at nightfall." He wasn't used to give so much information, but the elder had tipped him to bringing the fox to his future lady. And by seeing the happiness that shone through Kagome's eyes, he knew he owed the old human female a whole lot. He took personal pride in his intended's speechlessness, which was a rare occurrence. "I assume the others will be following in a day or two.", he deemed it necessary to add, even though that was technically an educated guess at best. He had no way of being sure that would happen, but he thought it likely to.

Kagome had to force herself to blink and breath before looking at the lord again. "I owe you more than I can account for, Sesshoumaru-sama. I don't know how to show you how grateful I really am."

In any other situation that'd be true. So true that he'd have found a way of taking some sort of advantage by now - even in the form of a new soldier or healer for his lands. But in the case, looking at her eyes, he found he needed nothing more than her smile to make it worth his while. Nothing more than her voice calling his name. Nothing more than her scent and her mere presence.

Kaede looked at the pair. They probably needed to talk and wouldn't do it with her around. Plus, now that Kagome was awake and well, it was time for her to tend to some other duties - including the herbs that needed to be collected and that would help the girl retrieve her strength. The days spent sleeping clearly hadn't been enough, for all she had been told, and they'd still need a few more days. Making up her mind, Kaede stood up. "Kagome-chan, would ye mind if I go out? There are some things I still need to do", she asked. The girl nodded immediately. The elder then walked to Sesshoumaru, who still stood at the door, and said with a short bow. "I owe ye my thanks, Sesshoumaru-sama." He nodded acknowledging her and let her through.

Kagome decided to make herself useful and started to raise herself from the cot, which was harder than she had anticipated. She tried to steady herself as Sesshoumaru watched her, his eyes full of curiosity and something else too, something she couldn't quite identify. Standing on her two feet, she tried to take one step towards a basket full of vegetables she intended to use to make some soup for dinner, but her legs gave out under her weight.

The girl squealed as she prepared for the impact, but her fall was stopped. "Perhaps it is not wise to exert yourself at this time", she heard a deep voice blowing softly at her hear. A shiver ran down her spine at the sound, and she swallowed hard as he put her on her feet without ever letting go of her waist.

She looked in his eyes before opening her mouth. "You need to stop coming to my rescue every time, Sesshoumaru-sama. The word "thanks" is kinda losing its value here, and I can't find possibly finds ways enough to repay them all as it is", she said. There was no spite in her voice. No sarcasm, no ingratitude. And he had an excellent ear for those from all the years' experience at the court and all the times he had - intentionally or not - saved someone.

A slight blush tainted her face as he stared back at her eyes more intensely than ever. She felt him shift her in his arms, as he raised one hand to her cheek and touched it softly. "You are pack, Kagome. You have nothing to repay me for", he whispered. "Now, I believe you should be resting."

"Kaede shouldn't need to do it all by herself. It's not fair on her", she protested. He knew she would. And he shuddered a bit. This was so beneath him...And yet, what could he do? She couldn't just start doing too much again! His honor and his feelings for her demanded he do something.

Taking a deep breath, he said the only thing he ought to at that moment. "You will rest. I will prepare dinner for you and the elder." He fought his own reluctance in letting go of her body, but didn't walk away immediately. He wanted to be sure she wouldn't falter and fall again. As she begrudgingly sat back down on her cot, he walked to the vegetables and started staring at them.

When Kagome saw he didn't have the slightest idea of what he was doing, she giggled. "You need to chop them, Sesshoumaru-sama. Chop them and then put them in the pot next to you."

He looked at her to nod in acknowledgement, and then saw the smile on her face. She was genuinely impressed at him, as he proved to be so much more caring than she had ever anticipated. Ever for an alpha, he was making an extra effort, she could in his stance. Who would have thought the Killing Perfection could be so intimidated by a knife?

As he picked up the knife and began working on the vegetables, the miko was sure it was the first time he had to prepare a meal, between his time in the palace and his time in the wild, where he preferred raw meat. And that he was trying to prepare them food - soup, no less - was probably the sweetest thing in the world!

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she called. When he turned his head slightly, a sweet smile stretched her lips. "I don't know what else to say to you, so… Thank you. For what you're doing."

"Hn," he replied and turned back to what he was doing. "Remember that you are pack, Kagome, and you won't have to say a word about it."

"Right…", she murmured, suddenly feeling tired again. She laid down on the cot, watching his back.

Right before sleep took her once more, and her breathing evened out, he heard her whisper "Good night, Sesshoumaru…" He allowed a smile to slip through his cold mask as a happy sigh left her lips.

The daiyoukai didn't miss the honorific - or the lack thereof. And he was content. "Good night, Kagome…" he replied as he went back to his current duty.


	26. Chapter 26 - Memories in the void

**AN: Hi there, beautiful ones!**

 **I wanted to go back to the Shadow, but I had no idea how… Until, that is, a review on chapter 24, which gave me precisely the idea I had been looking for. Granted, I'm not really sure this is what Trinabear (lots of thanks, by the way) was thinking about when she wrote it, but here we go. This chapter is a little shorter, but it's entirely dedicated to the Shadow! We'll be getting a little insight on it.**

 **Kinda hard to write, I'll give you that, but I hope you guys like it!**

 **One thing you'll notice, if you haven't already, is that I refuse to give Kage a specified gender. Since it is void, it lacks identity as much as it is possible.**

 **.X: I'm glad you liked it! That will have to wait another chapter, though haha**

 **lara5170: Thank you so much, and welcome back! :D**

 **Darknessdawns: I'm so sorry about those. As I said, I was in no way fit to do anything. I'm so glad you've liked it, despite the errors! And I am. I'm feeling much better, thank you! 3**

 **Undertheskys: Thank you!**

 **Ashatan87: Well, I think he's been showing it through gestures for quite a while now, hasn't he? The thing is, Sesshoumaru isn't a huge fan of talking, so I think it'd be quite a challenge for him to actually say the words out loud without help. I wonder who's going to be helping him with it? Shall we wait and see? Haha**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Glad you think so! Thank you!**

 **Oh, a fair warning. THis chapter may have turned out to be a little darker than I first anticipated. Hopefully, it won't be too much.**

 **Tell me what you think.**

 **Read and review. 3**

 **Chapter 26:** **Memories in the void**

Kage looked at the mirror in the hands of Kanna… That girl was probably the weirdest thing it had ever seen. Scratch that. It was. But she was a close second place. The shadow had never met someone who shared its origins… Granted, they didn't have exactly the same one. She was a void demon and it was the void itself, so she wasn't as whole a void as it. Still… The feeling was strange.

Well, feeling something at all was strange. The void never felt, and having these… These things? Where did it all come from? Maybe Kage needed to try and understand what had happened a few days ago.

The shadow had covered a small village by the sea and then felt the female's pain. Oh, that pain had been exquisite! But the one next to her? He had been even more mouthwatering! There was just something about the hanyou that screamed of pain. Not that he was in a great amount of it, no. Just a tiny part of him seemed able to feel any kind of despair - and how had Kage found delight in it! However, the rest of him, more unfeeling than not, seemed bent on causing pain, and the power to do it…

Besides his own power, there was something else too. Four other souls, much more ancient, and so much scarred! There was so much pain inside those to sustain Kage for a few millenia! It wouldn't even need the hanyou and the youkai… But, always so adaptable to new circumstances and always hungry for more, the void could swallow them up too with perfect ease.

It just could never have guessed it would be quite so literal.

When Naraku - as it learned afterwards the hanyou was called - made a desperate move to absorb the void and it proved too great to be absorbed, the blow turned inside out, and quite the opposite happened. Now Naraku was just as much a part of Kage as every other demon he had ever absorbed. Only that didn't kill him. Oh, no. That was what surprised Kage the most. It kind of expected to be alone again after that. It took quite a few days to find out all the souls within it were in the most exquisite pain it had ever felt.

The wind witch Kagura's soul was weak, and wouldn't last too long. But the others would. And for the first time in its whole existence, the void had now a goal to pursue.

The four souls it had absorbed were not complete. They were within a shattered jewel, and Kage only had a part of it. The rest, it seemed, was either scattered across the land or in the possession of two people. A wolf youkai had two shards. A young human female had the largest share, apart from Naraku's.

And that was who Kage was trying to find right now. Kanna, the void youkai, stood in front of its new body - another strange sensation, having a physical form was - holding a mirror. Apparently, finding her wasn't as easy as it had as first supposed. How hard could it be, though, for the specialist to be at it for the least three days with no results?

The shadow was beginning to regret the whole situation when the mirror finally started shifting. And it showed a raven haired girl sleeping peacefully. The scene was so quiet, so comforting, it sent a raging shiver down Kage's new spine. It remembered her. It had touched her fears once before. Actually engulfed her in a cloud of fear and pain.

And it had been interrupted. A few more minutes and the girl would have been its, but that chance had been snatched away by that demon. An inu daiyoukai, if it remembered correctly.

Something inside of Kage stirred at the sight of the girl, and it found out that apparently Naraku too had a thing or two to say about her. The spider despised her with all his might, and wanted her to suffer. Also, he had already been seeking the jewel the shadow had just now started to desire.

That was even better. It wouldn't have a conflict with this newer, more feeling part of it.

Kage turned its thoughts to its new targets, and could almost savour her despair again. The possibility of so much despair… The human girl might be able to put an end to her own suffering. The souls inside the jewel, on the other hand… These would be forever trapped in a never-ending maze of pain. The shadow's mouth watered as it thought of the ultimate source of nourishment. It had been hungry for over five thousand years, and did not wish to go through that again.

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Five thousand years before, Kage was mighty as it could be. It swallowed entire villages and reigned free. That was when this human priestess showed up. She was unlike any other it had ever met. It took a few years to find out her name… Midoriko wore an armor worthy of the bravest and most honored of warriors, and was altogether fearless.

She was young still when she made a name for herself by facing the most cruel and powerful demons of their time. And then she heard about Kage, and decided it would be her next target.

The woman seemed bent on ridding the land of all things hostile against humans.

Kage almost felt most offended by this classification, since it was hostile to both humans and youkai alike. Oh, well… It would just have to prove her wrong, then, wouldn't it?

The thing was, when it attacked a youkai village near where the miko was rumored to be at the moment, the Shadow was. Not. Prepared for her to come to the youkai's aid. Apparently, she was bent to helping demons as well. And apparently, she had a strange weapon, which burned Kage as it tried to engulf the village's elder, slicing a portion of it. The Shadow tried to identify the blade, but could only see it was not holly, although it was triggered and empowered by the woman's own aura.

In a desperate move, it tried to swallow Midoriko, and for a few moments rejoiced in her pain as it showed her horrific scenes of her eminent failure at protecting this sad little island and the suffering her death would bring to others.

This woman would soon perish, and Kage would be free to roam and haunt the land, unchecked and unchallenged, feeding at will until there was nothing else left.

Its moment of triumph was short-lived, though. Midoriko found a way to hold on to reality with the help of her sword, and infused it with as much holly energy as she possibly could, before spinning around and cutting all the dark cloud that surrounded her.

Kage was not one to hold on to feelings. It did understand the concept of pain, though. And it never had felt anything like that pain before. Suddenly not all the suffering in the world would be able to feed it enough to fight the miko off.

It shrunk, and went back to the depths of the earth, where it had nothing close to nourishment, but did have shelter from that wrench. It would wait until it could return and begin to grow again.

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Kage never found out what end met the priestess Midoriko. It was strange that this jewel held a small similarity with her aura. None of this mattered, though. Kage had never been interested in the affairs of the world, apart from the pain it could get from them.

There was only one thing that bothered it. That sword. That inu taiyoukai and that damn sword. It was not enough to kill it, nor to put it through what Midoriko's blade had… Yet. The Shadow was not blind to how akin their natures had been, nor to the immense potential this new blade had in defeating it.

Oh, no. Kage would try to find the dog next, and in finding the dog, it would do everything in its power to destroy him before he tried to destroy it.


	27. Chapter 27 - Reunion

**AN: Hi, guys!**

 **So, the reviews on last chapter were very few, and I'm guessing it's mostly because you guys didn't like it as much? Haha**

 **That being so, I've decided I'll no longer write whole chapters focused on only one group of characters (unless it's Sesshoumaru and Kagome). Hopefully, you'll like it better. Tell me what you think. :D**

 **.X: Thank you :)**

 **On this chapter, we'll go back to the gang. How's their meeting going to go?**

 **I'll have to say this chapter was a bit of a struggle. I'm not exactly happy with how it turned out. I hope you like it, though.**

 **Read and review. 3**

 **Chapter 27: Reunion**

InuYasha was running like never before. He had been at it for an entire day, and there was still quite some distance to cover. How had it all got to this point? And why the hell did Sesshoumaru have to be the one to take Kagome? The mangy wolf Kouga would be very annoying as it was, but him? The Killing Perfection himself? Oh, that was killing the hanyou! Growling to himself, he angrily dodged a branch.

Hot on his trail, Kirara soared, carrying Sango and Miroku. "He seems to be getting angrier by the minute, doesn't he?", the taijyia commented. It had all gotten so much worse since Sesshoumaru's group had left with Shippou in the middle of the night. She had been herself worried and suspecting some sort of treason, forgetting for a momento all she knew about daiyoukai. But then Kirara had reminded her of how ill Kagome had been when the lord left with her. Apparently, the neko youkai had next to no trouble trusting him, and was urging her human companion to see it.

Miroku, on his turn, hadn't worried about their friend from the future at all, until InuYasha's growls started reaching his ears. This could not be a good sign!

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Several miles ahead, Shippou was wide awake and quite scared. It's not that he didn't trust Rin-chan, and it's not as though he'd feel any safer around InuYasha either. It just wasn't very comfortable to be flying on top of a dragon with that Jaken nutcase, while his human mother was who knew where and who knew in what predicament. In his heart, Shippou wished with all his heart Sesshoumaru would take as good a care of his Okaa-san as the kit knew he could. And he also wished that this could be enough. His mother was the most incredible person in the world, and he didn't think anyone else realized how much true that was. He was so not ready to let go of her! The whole world wasn't ready to let go of her! With tears in his eyes, his grip on Rin's sleeve tightened.

"R-Rin-chan?", he whispered.

"Yes, Shippou-chan?", she answered.

"I want my Okaa-san," he admitted, feeling embarrassed. More embarrassed, in fact, than he ever remembered feeling.

"I know, Shippou-chan. We'll be there in a few hours, and then you won't have to part from her, okay?" the girl said. She was kind to him. Even kinder than Sango was. "You're being so brave. Keep on doing that just for a little longer. When we're with Sesshoumaru-sama and Kagome-sama, you won't have to anymore." Shippou looked at her and nodded, trying to still another sob.

He'd be brave. He'd make his Okaa-san and Rin-chan proud. He'd prove Sesshoumaru-sama he wasn't as useless as InuYasha.

Shippou wasn't stupid. He wasn't without his instincts. And he wasn't naïve either. He didn't see Sesshoumaru as a father. He did see the taiyoukai as alpha, though, and that was enough. The guy had been taking care of them all, and had protected his adoptive mother many times. That was more than enough for the kit to trust him and want his approval. If his mother was a part of Sesshoumaru-sama's pack, then he wanted - no, he needed - to be a part of it too. He didn't want to be all alone again.

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Kagome woke up as the sun began to show in the mountains east of the village. Sesshoumaru had managed to woke her up for a few minutes the night before, just time enough for a quick meal with Kaede, and then sleep took her again. Now, the young miko tried to sit herself up, and found it easier, which gave her the courage to try and stand. She was done with laying down, in all honesty. She needed to stretch her legs, and she wanted to feel the warm sun on her skin.

As she stepped into open air and breathed in, she heard a deep voice behind her. "I do not think it wise for you to be walking around on your own." She turned around and saw Sesshoumaru.

"Good morning," she said. He nodded in response. "I wasn't going too far, Sesshoumaru-sama. I just wanted to see the sun." He nodded once again, but said nothing as he walked around her to offer her his left arm. She hesitated for a moment, before taking it.

"I shall accompany you. It won't do for you to be unprotected while recovering," he said.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said, a soft, tender smile gracing her features, which made his heart soar. Still, he knew something was not right. He bent his head a little, getting closer to her ear.

"I think we're past the point of using honorifics… Kagome," he whispered, making a shiver run down her spine. He looked her in the eyes before going on. He chose to be as honest as he could… On this regard, at least. "It bothers me when you use it."

"I… I thought you preferred the honorific…" she justified herself as they started walking towards a hill a few minutes' walk from Kaede's hut.

"Hn. When it comes to most creatures, I do prefer it," he began, and then stopped. Maybe it was too honest for him yet.

Kagome knew it was too risky to take this kind of guess, but if she didn't ask him, she'd never hear the answer. She glanced at him and shot "But-but not me?"

"Not you indeed," he answered, looking at her eyes again, his gaze meeting hers. It was intense. For both of them. And both got lost, blind to all else but each other.

Kagome had no idea how long she had just stared at that indecipherable golden pearls, hoping and wondering what he was thinking, whether he was feeling the same as she did. Sesshoumaru swore to himself for the thousandth time since he had joined her in her travels that he would give his life to make sure she was safe and happy. His heart would be hers, if only she wanted it. If only…

They were still staring at each other when three very loud voices came from the sky. "SESSHOUMARU-SAMAAAA!", two of them cried, while the third "OKAA-SAAAAAN!"

Sesshoumaru cursed himself. How on earth had he not sensed nor smelled any of them? If they had been an enemy… _Hn_. He would just never let anyone distract him from his duties - from protecting her - ever again. Not even herself.

That, he soon dismissed, though, as the miko let go of his arm and dropped to her knees. The kit jumped from Rin's arms - and they were at a considerable distance from the ground, the lord noted - and ran to his mother's welcoming embrace. Sesshoumaru knew the child had tears in his eyes, and soon he heard his intended's sobs as well. He hadn't imagined she would react this strongly to her son's presence. But then again, it only made sense.

Jaken and Rin approached them, Ah-Un just a few feet away. He looked down at his ward, who was looking at the scene with a large grin on her face. His retainer too looked on, seeming half-annoyed. They had done well, both of them. And the task he had

In the meantime, Kagome had locked Shippou in a tight hug. She had missed him, and had been worried sick ever since she had woken up. Apparently, so had he. She pulled back to look him in the eyes when he began to speak. "I-I'm so glad you're okay, Okaa-san?"

"I am now, Shippou-chan," she said, with a teary smile on her face. "I've been so worried about you!"

Shippou, trying to regain his composure, said, "Rin-chan took care of me a lot, Okaa-san. She tried to make me stop crying."

The miko stole a glance at the pre-teen. "She did, did she?", to which the kitsune nodded enthusiastically. "Well, then, we should go and thank her, shouldn't we?" Another enthusiastic nod. The boy hopped to the ground and ran to the girl, bowing.

"Thank you so much for looking after me, Rin-chan," he said to her, and paused. Then, turning to Jaken and bowing again, he added. "Forgive me for bothering you, Jaken-sama." The boy looked to his mother, and smile at seeing approval shine in her eyes. She was surprised, but glad. She hadn't expected Shippou to take the toad into account, but it was a good thing that he had.

He only had one more person to thank now, and that was the most important, in his opinion. He needed this guy's acceptance if he wanted to be pack. He bowed lower than before, his forehead touching the grass. "Thank you for everything you've done for my mother, Sesshoumaru-sama." Kagome's eyes went wide. That, she had not expected at all. Shippou never bowed this low for anyone. Her adoptive son was a somewhat proud child, and to put himself in this position probably hadn't been easy for him.

She looked to the daiyoukai, who was looking at Shippou. "Rise, kit," he said, and then patted the red hair on the boy's head. He knew what the child was doing, and couldn't help but be glad at the respect. Still - and this, he would never admit out loud - he would have accepted the kitsune with or without this, if only to make the miko happy. Besides, Shippou might be a child, but he was a strong one, and Sesshoumaru wouldn't be surprised if he grew to be a daiyoukai himself one day. "You honour your mother and your pack."

Shippou's smile was quick to spread through his lips, and he thanked the lord some more, before taking Rin by the hand and pulling her towards the village. "Come, Rin-chan! Let's say hi to Kaede-baa-chan!" Kagome giggled. She wasn't sure she could say what had just happened, but that didn't matter. She could always ask someone later. The child's happiness was more than enough for now.

"Jaken. "Put Ah-Un to rest." Sesshoumaru called.

"Yes, m'lord!" the kappa cried.

The lord added swiftly " Then, you may rest yourself."

Jaken bowed very low, saying "Thank you, m'lord. Thank you." And then, he was gone.

After a few seconds, Kagome said, "You were very kind to Jaken right just now, you know." She was still kneeling, as she went on, a smile on her face. "You were also very kind to Shippou and me. I can't thank you enough."

He offered her his hand, and replied. "You do not have to."

With a wider smile, she took his hand and he helped her up. She didn't know how else to show him her gratitude, so she hugged him. The man was caught off his guard, and didn't know how to react. He was not used to demonstrations like this one. This was one of the best things he had ever felt, though.

She interpreted this hesitation as a rejection, and was going to pull away when his arms pulled her in. "You are pack, Kagome, and pack cares for pack."

"I know, much like family," she whispered back. "It doesn't mean I'm not grateful for everything you've done. Or for being in a pack at all."

He tightened his arms around her in response, and they stood in silence. The lord inhaled deeply. She smelled of sakura and happiness. If he could have nothing else from her, this would be enough. This was heaven for him.

The miko felt no different. She was sure he didn't love her back, but he definitely took her needs and feelings into account. And his arms, his voice, his smell…

She felt his body went stiff after a while, and wondered what had changed. Perhaps he had grown tired of her presence? In one swift move, she wasn't in her arms, any longer, but behind him, his hand firmly grasping her wrist, keeping her in place, and a low growl left his throat.

"Sesshoumaru, what-?", she began, but was interrupted by something else.

"Kagome! Sesshoumaru, get away from her!"


	28. Chapter 28 - Care

**AN: Hello, my lovely readers!**

 **I'm updating this today just because I got the news when I was almost done with the chapter. Had it arrived sooner, I would NOT.**

 **This is probably new to you, but I study literature at the university, and I plan on doing research and maybe one day become a professor. So you can imagine how important the university is to me. Well, one of the greatest thinkers on Brazilian literature just passed away during the night. The mood around here is kinda heavy right now, as you can imagine.**

 **This piece of news… It kinda unsettled me a bit. A whole lot, actually. Probably not gonna do much writing over the next few days.**

 **So the next chapter will probably take two or three weeks to come out, ok?**

 **Anyway, this chapter is VERY important. Not just because of the fluff - because, oh, there is a WHOLE lot of it. No. It's important because the next chapter or two are essential for this InuYasha problem. So PAY ATTENTION. LoL**

 **I hope you enjoy this, and I'll be talking to you in a few weeks.**

 **I miss your reviews, so read and post them. 3**

 **Chapter 28: Care**

Kagome froze in place. She was surprised, even though she knew she shouldn't be. Sesshoumaru had sent for Shippou, and the others would no doubt follow soon after. That didn't change that she needed a break from InuYasha. She didn't know what had happened to him, and quite frankly she wasn't ready to face him quite just yet. The lord sensed her nervousness, and it only served to get him even more on edge. He was a fraction of an inch away from kicking InuYasha out of this village, and the mongrel seemed bent on shortening that already delicate distance, did he not?

"Sesshoumaru, are you deaf or what?" he insisted. "I told you to get away from her!"

The oldest of InuTaisho's sons said nothing, but changed his stance to a defensive one. Kagome soon realized that, despite her not wanting to deal with the hanyou, that's exactly what she would need to do, if she wanted to avoid a fight between the brothers. She gently touched the hand on her wrist and whispered, "It's okay." He looked at her, distrust clear in his eyes. "He won't do anything," she insisted. Even she couldn't believe it and she knew both of them were aware of this. Still, she was glad when he let go of her, nodding.

"If he hurts a member of my pack again," he said lowly, his voice dangerous. "No sword, no fang, no beads… Nothing will protect him." That was a promise he fully intended on keeping, that much she knew. Nodding, she carefully made her way around him.

InuYasha saw her and moved to hug her, stopping when he heard his half-brother's growl, much louder now than before. Instead, he said, "You okay, 'Gome?"

"I'm okay," she said. It wasn't dry or cold, but she made it clear she was in no mood to talk much.

"I-I'm… I'm sorry, Kagome," the hanyou said. It was not easy to apologize like that. Especially not in front of his brother. Especially not to someone whom he had sworn to protect. That thought hurt him. _I guess she doesn't need my protection anymore, eh?_

Kagome's face remained neutral, as she asked, "Do you mean it?"

"What?"

"Do you mean it? Are you _really_ sorry for this whole thing?", she pressed.

InuYasha tried to look away, but he felt so guilty. It was like he owed her his shame. It wasn't nearly enough for making her sick after all the other stuff, but at least it was a beginning. "Y-yeah, 'Gome. I mean it."

Her eyes softened a little, and she sighed. "You've got a lot of work to do, InuYasha," she said. "You've kinda betrayed us, you know? This kind of trust is gonna easily rebuilt."

His head sunk. "I know… I-I don't remember it all, but-"

Three other presences then approached them. It was Sango, Miroku and Kirara., and so that conversation was ended with hugs and meows. InuYasha raised his eyes when he realized Kagome wasn't looking at him, but at their three companions instead. Only then did he remember his brother, standing too close to the group for comfort.

What really took all comfort from him, though, was the look on the bastard's face. The expression he saw there, he didn't think he'd ever be able to forget. There was such a tenderness in daiyoukai's eyes as he watched the group's reunion… And then, when he realized he was being watched, he turned his gaze to InuYasha, and he wasn't trying to hide anything. His cold mask didn't fall back into place. The tenderness was replaced by anger instead.

Everything only took a few seconds, of course. Sesshoumaru quickly changed his focus back to Kagome and approached the group. He touched her shoulder. "Miko, you've enjoyed the sun and you've met your friends. I do think it's best if we go back now, as you have yet to eat."

Kagome's eyes went wide, and an embarrassed blush covering her cheeks. She had completely forgotten about breakfast. _Nice one_ , she thought. What an excellent way to meet her friends again, and even better! What an excellent way to prove Sesshoumaru she wasn't just a useless, weak human! Her frown was clear to all, but no one quite understood why. InuYasha, for instance, thought it was the bossy control-freak that was his brother.

Sesshoumaru's logic was surprisingly close to InuYasha's, as he thought it was his intromission that bothered her. There was only one thing he could do, then, to try and mend it. As much as he hated doing that for anyone, he would swallow his pride and apologize to her.

For now, though, he would see that she was healing properly. And nurturement was something the human body sorely needed. That being so, he offered her his hand, which she took, with an ever deeper blush and and an ever greater embarrassment. He must think her so pathetic right now.

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Half an hour later found the pack's human members - and Shippou, of course - sharing a meal with Kaede. It had been a long time since they all had had the chance of talking, and they were doing so with as much happiness as it was possible. The sons of the Inu no Taisho, however, did not take part in this joyful reunion.

Sesshoumaru stood by the door, right hand on the hilt of the Bakusaiga. It wasn't that he wasn't satisfied with his intended's happiness, because he was. There was something off, though. Something that put all of his instincts on alarm, and he was not one to ignore his more primal nature. If his guts told him there was a problem, he would find out what it was.

InuYasha felt it too, even though he thought it probably was his brother's very presence. And so, he too had his hand on the hilt of the Tessaiga, his eyes trained on Sesshoumaru.

When Shippou was done eating and pulling Rin for another round of tag, Kagome lifted her eyes, only to find Sesshoumaru unwavering gaze on her. There it was again. Worry. And that something else too, that glint she couldn't recognize. It felt good, though, to have him looking at her like that. A blush rose to her face when she caught herself hoping and wishing. She had to stop doing that! Suddenly, her now empty bowl of rice seemed awfully interesting…

Sesshoumaru almost took a step closer to her, but was interrupted by an elderly aura coming their way. _Myouga_ , he recognized.

A few seconds later, InuYasha felt a sting on his neck. And slapped it as hard as he could. He smirked when he saw Myouga, hands against the head. "InuYasha-sama, that was such a cruel thing to do," he cried.

"Serves you right for stinging my neck, flea. I'm not some blood purse, y'know," was the answer.

"Oh, but the blood of your honorable father is so delightfully tasty that…", but he was caught off by the hanyou again.

"Yeah, yeah, we all know that. I'm only a _half_ demon, though," he said with an evil grin. "If you want the real thing, Sesshoumaru'll be a much better choice, y'know."

"InuYasha, can't you just not pick up a fight?", Kagome scowled, her eyes narrowing. InuYasha's ears flattened against his head. _Nice way to go about regaining her trust, eh?_ , he thought to himself.

"The elder knows better than to sting me, little brother," Sesshoumaru said. "And we don't have time to waste on your useless teasing. Speak, flea."

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I was hoping I would find you with InuYasha-sama's pack," the little youkai said. Sesshoumaru just stared at him, an elegant brow raised. "I have word of Bokusenou, my lord. He wishes to speak to you."

That seemed to catch the inu youkai's interest. And it also presented a problem. Knowing what Kagome had told him about Naraku being swallowed by the Shadow and its interest in the jewel, there was much at stake. He couldn't afford to delay this meeting with Bokusenou. Yes, he hated being summoned like that. And yes, he was annoyed. But he also saw the urgency of all this. He was no fool.

How could he go to the ancient tree without leaving the miko unprotected, though? She needed to stay and rest. She was not yet fit for any journey. Not yet fit at all.

His gaze fell on her again. She was alpha, just as much as he. Perhaps not as able to protect the pack as he, but when it concernings leading them, they were equal. And this decision concerned her more than anyone else.

Nodding, the lord offered her his hand. She looked at him. He had been staring at her for the last thrity seconds, obviously deep in thought, trying to decide something. She guessed he knew what this Bokusenou guy wanted, and there was something Sesshoumaru wished her to know about. _It must be pretty important_ , she thought. She accepted his hand, and he helped her to her feet. She could hear InuYasha growling behind them, but one glare from her shut him up.

The girl wasn't surprised at being led outside the hut. She had guessed it was a private matter. What surprised her was the look on her friend's usual expressionless face. He dropped her hand, but still stood as close to her as he could, his face only a few inches from hers. "Sesshoumaru-s-", she began, but stopped when she remembered his request earlier. "Sesshoumaru, what's the matter?"

"I may need to leave for a day," he answered.

"I'm guessing this Bokusenou person doesn't usually call you like this," she tried, knowing it was stupid even before she said it. Sesshoumaru nodded. "Could it be related to Kage?"

He nodded once more. "Bokusenou is one of the most ancient beings alive, and knows of many things," he explained. "He is probably the only creature able to give any information about this new enemy."

"I see," she said, thoughtfully. "What is the problem, then? Isn't that a good thing?"

She looked at him expectantly. Here it went. "You are not yet healed, and so cannot be expected to defend yourself. I do not wish to leave you unprotected," he admitted, staring deep in her eyes.

Trying to offer some comfort, she softly touched his hand again. To her astonishment, he didn't pull away. Instead, he slipped his fingers through hers. A small smile appeared in her lips. "Ever the dutiful alpha," she said and giggled. He raised a brow. "I've been helpless most of my life, Sesshoumaru. And I have the others. Plus, InuYasja seems better now. I'm not saying I fully trust him, but he's not under the spell anymore, is he? If that's the only reason for you to stay, you don't have to worry about me."

Was she sending him away? The daiyoukai guessed she probably didn't love him, but not being wanted around… It hurt even more than when InuYasha cut off his arm in their father's tomb, and that had been the most painful experience he had ever had.

Kagome saw something in his eyes change, as he began to pull his hand back. She held it in place. Was it something she said? Had she just hurt him? Or was it just her wishful thinking again? Anyway, it was time she said something. Anything! "Just come back soon, okay? I'd really miss you if you decided to travel on your own again."

The lord examined her face, hoping she meant it as he wanted her to - no, as he needed her to. He feared invanding her space and pushing her away, but the agony of not knowing… He had never felt anything like it. Never before had he been deprived of anything, much less deprived of information he deemed necessary. For now, though, he would have to hold on to what she had just given him. She'd miss him. She wanted him around.

"Bokusenou lies in a forest south of here," he said. "If I leave immediately, I shall be back before sunrise."

Her smile grew wider. "Sounds good to me. Will you take Jaken and the others with you?"

He thought for a moment. "No. They would delay me," he shook his head. "And Uh-An and Jaken may prove useful, should you need protection," he added.

"Ok," the girl said, nodding.

When the pair got back go the hut, the inu youkai quickly dismissed a goodbye to Rin and a few quick orders to Jaken, who cried and whailed about being left behind again. The show was pointedly ignored by everyone, but the children, who were most tempted to make fun of it. Shippou remembered what he owed the kappa, though, and kept his mouth shut, simply tapping the older youkai's should in an awckward attempt to comfort him.

With a last glance at Kagome, Sesshoumaru took off soon after, engulfed by his own energy. And as he flew away, that nagging feeling that something was off didn't even budge. The daiyoukai could only hope it concerned Bokusenou and the information he was about to gain, and not the pack and the woman he was now leaving behind.


	29. Chapter 29 - Fear rising

**AN: Hi there! I'm back!**

 **I did end up going to my professor's memorial last week. It was moving to see it so crowded. And I felt much so better after going, it gave me this sense of having done what I needed to, you know? Paying my last respects, that is.**

 **ladybug02: Thank you! I'm glad you like him! 3**

 **.X: Sorry to disappoint you, but I think both of us knew chaos was just around the corner, right? Sesshoumaru's guts never fail. TT-TT**

 **Darknessdawns: I'm so glad you like it! And I hope he does too!**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: They just need to courage, poor guys! Haha**

 **Last chapter ended with Sesshoumaru leaving after being sent for by Bokusenou. He had a pretty bad feeling, remember that? Well, this is what caused it.**

 **I can't believe I managed to write this chapter in such a short time. And I'll tell you it was NOT easy. LoL**

 **Not really sure I deserve to feel this way, but I'm almost happy with how this chapter turned out. Tell me what you guys think of it, okay? (Sincerely hoping you like it, but if you don't, tell me too, okay?)**

 **I guess that's it. I'll talk to you next time. :)**

 **Read and review. 3**

 **Chapter 29: Fear rising**

Kagome was inside Kaede's hut, preparing to settle for the night. She had just come back through the well after spending a few hours with her family.. It hadn't been nearly enough, after so long without seeing them, but she had managed to spend some quality time with all of them and renew her supplies. Her mother had made her promise to visit soon, and she fully intended to make that happen.

She had also tried experimenting with her powers throughout the day, and had found them faint, and her control very poor. She figured probably some light meditation was in order.

Therefore, until the miko's next opportunity to visit her family, she needed to focus on getting better and getting back to work. And so, she was going to bed early. She wanted a good night's sleep so she could wake up at first light in the morning. That way, she could go back to meditating and maybe help Kaede, and so feel at least a little useful.

Yes, that was a good idea. It would make her feel better.

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The young woman woke up with a sudden start. It was dark still, but a few birds were already singing, which told her dawn was just an hour or so away.

The feeling she had, though, was of the darkest nature. Not knowing whether it came from a nightmare or from some outside reason, she looked around. The humans in her group were all sound asleep, as was Kirara. She tried sensing the hut's surrounding, where she pictured Jaken and Ah-Un resting too. InuYasha was nowhere to be found, though.

Trying to feel for some vicious or hostile aura, she found nothing in the village or in its immediate surroundings. Stretching her powers a little bit more, she found her hanyou companion near the Goshinboku. His aura was strange, though, and retracted when it touched hers. And then suddenly, it was gone.

For a few seconds, she could feel or hear nothing. Until, that is, something grabbed a strand of her hair. She froze in place.

"Is everything all right, okaa-san?", a small, muffled voice came from inside her sleeping bag. It was only Shippou, she realized with a sigh of relief. "InuYasha's just outside, isn't he?"

"That he is," she replied after a second. His aura had appeared a few feet from the door. There was something off about it…

"What's wrong with him?," the boy asked. "His aura feels weird."

"I'm not sure, sweetie. I was just about to go out and ask him," she whispered back, trying not to disturb the others.

"Let's do that…", the boy said thoughtfully. "Weird… It's not quite like it was when he attacked Sesshoumaru-sama the last time."

"That's because I'm not gonna attack the bastard this time, runt," he said. Kagome looked at him and shivered. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what, but something was terribly wrong.

It was that feeling dark as night. The same one that had woken her up. Kagome was afraid and she knew it. She could but try to put her own heart at ease with a small smile. "I'm glad, InuYasha," she began. "I'm glad that you understood we can afford to fight each other all the time."

"Eh, I'm not gonna fight anyone, wench," said he. "I'm gonna settle some business."

"What do you mean?", the girl asked.

"Come here, and you'll see," was the answer. She hesitated, every hair on her body standing, suspicion rising inside of her. When he realized she didn't want to come, he threatened, his voice low and vicious. "Come, girl. The kid's not gonna like being around and hearing this."

Kagome sighed. Did she want to go? No way. Did she feel safe about going? Not at all. Did she have a choice? Apparently not.

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Sesshoumaru's feet touched the ground and he started walking towards Bokusenou. He was greeted in a few seconds by the tree's voice. "Good afternoon, Sesshoumaru-same," he said, even before the daiyoukai had reached his clearing.

That was odd… The elder had been his teacher when he was a pup, and usually waited for Sesshoumaru to get closer. Sometimes, he even waited to be greeted first before speaking - which, of course, annoyed the dog demon immensely.

So, hence his surprise upon this early greeting.

He quickened his pace and, a few seconds later, set foot in a small space in the forest where the trees gave way to the greatest and oldest of them all. "Bokusenou," he said, with a nod.

"I am glad that you decided to attend to my request, Inu no Taisho's son," the tree said. "As Myouga will probably have told you, I have found new information on Kage that you might deem useful."

"Speak," said the young lord. He intended it to sound as it usually would. His voice, though, the tree noted, carried not the arrogance the pup always had about him. No. It was heavy with something else. Someone the elder was not ready yet to guess at. He needed to know more about recent developments. That was a conversation better saved for later, though.

"I have an educated guess as to how to kill it," he stated simply.

"Tell me," Sesshoumaru ordered.

Hn. Perhaps here was a chance for Bokusenou to have a clue for his next quest of interest now. How fortunate! "What will you do, Sesshoumaru-sama, once I have given you this piece of information?"

"I will track the Shadow down and kill it," the daiyoukai said. Wasn't it obvious? The tree's games tired him. "Now tell me once and for all, Bokusenou. How is this lowly form of life going to meet its end?"

The magnolia closed his eyes in thought. His former pupil was not going to be happy with what he was about to say. "That is exactly the problem, Sesshoumaru-sama. You cannot be the one to kill Kage." The young lord's eyes narrowed, and he allowed his chest to rumble with a growl. "I know this displeases you, pup, but that is what I have found."

"Speak plainly, elder," said the daiyoukai, who was getting more annoyed by the second.

"I have been thinking and searching for information. Based on what you have told me about your first encounter with the Shadow, I thought it unlikely that Kage could be killed with just any sword. The Tenseiga, though, seemed able to affect it somehow", the tree made a pause. He took a deep breath before going on. "It was then I started trying to find another way. There's no such thing as an immortal creature on earth.

"My roots have heard a rumour about why Kage was gone for so long. It would be related to a sword Midoriko had at the time. Its powers were somewhat similar to your father's fang," Bokusenou said, eyeing the blade at Sesshoumaru's hip with a determined look the inu youkai didn't remember ever seeing on the tree's face. "The obvious difference was the lack of youki in it, which the Tenseiga already had in abundance when your father wielded it.

"You may not have realized it, Sesshoumaru-sama, but the sword has much grown in power ever since it came to your hands after your sire's passing."

"What is it, then, that stops me from using it to kill the Shadow?"

"While you wield it, my lord, is that, the Tenseiga is powered by much youki, and much like your Bakusaiga. While you wield it, however, much like your Bakusaiga, it is powered only by youki. And I'm afraid youki alone cannot defeat Kage."

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Kagome walked behind InuYasha, to his left. Only after leaving Kaede's hut did she notice something. The beads were gone. To say she was wary as he spoke… Well, that was the understatement of the century! "Ya know, something's been botherin' me a lot these days…"

"And… What is it, InuYasha?", she asked.

"You…," he said, stopping, but not looking at her. "You and that bastard of a brother I have. What the hell do you think you're doin' with, eh, Kagome? " Only then did he look at her, his eyes burning in anger. "You ain't supposed to be around him!"

"And who is it I'm supposed to be around, InuYasha?", she shot back. Oh, she had a very good idea of just where he was going with this. And although she was in no way fit to fight him, that did not mean she was just going to allow him to get his way and put them all in a tight spot again!

"Me! And just me!", he shouted. The miko then sensed a small aura coming their way. It was trying to hide and sneak closer, and hopefully InuYasha wouldn't notice it. She did, though. Hadn't Shippou stayed inside? What was he doing here?

She had no time to think on it much, however, as InuYasha grabbed her arm. "What are you doing, InuYasha?"

"Teachin' ya a lesson that's been coming for a long time!", he growled as tossed her at the ground. She hit it with a grunt, and tried to rise immediately from the ground.

For some miracle alone was Kagome able to dodge a sharp claw aimed at her arm. The girl ran, heading for the Goshinboku. She had no idea what was going on with InuYasha, but she felt she needed to get him away from the others as fast as she could. Hadn't she freed him from Urasue? What on earth was this?

He ran after her, and seemed to be having the time of his life in scaring her. He jumped right in front of her, and then allowed her to get away with just a scratch. A far, far away cry of "Sesshoumaru-sama!" barely registered in either of their minds.

Kagome ran like she couldn't remember ever having done before. When they finally reached the clearing around the Bone-Eater's Well and the Goshinboku, it seemed InuYasha was done playing with her. She was tackled against the Sacred Tree head first, and she felt blood rushing down her temple in a fine fillet.

Looking back, the miko saw her friend - or was he a foe? - raise his hand to strike her, claws out. "I'll throw what's left of you in the well, wench. Not even the bastard's Tenseiga will be able to bring you back!", he growled, and as he said this his aura twisted in such a way as would not be believed to be possible. It was so distorted it barely reminded InuYasha's aura.

The girl tried to bring her powers to the surface, but they had not yet recovered fully. It could only produce a thin barrier, which was overcome by a simple pulse from the hanyou's energy. So, she did the only thing she could do right now. She let out a piercing scream.


	30. Chapter 30 - Proximity

**AN: Hello, y'all! What's up?**

 **I'm so sorry for the suspense - HA! I'M NOT! LoL**

 **Anyway, it had to be done. Plus, admit it: a little cliffhanger is always fun. Haha**

 **ladybug02: She always is, in the end. :)**

 **Darknessdawns: Thank you! Well, we'll see about that. But he's never too late, is he?**

 **Ashatan87: Thank you. Thank you so much. What's going on with him? Well, by the end of the chapter, he'll have a pretty good idea of what, and in a few weeks, we'll have too. Haha**

 **keylala79: Thank you so, so much! Yes, it's been a while I've left you all in suspense like that, hasn't it? Haha**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Fret not. Here it is haha**

 **This chapter is slightly shorter than the ones I've been posting, I believe, but that's for a reason. It wouldn't fit quite just right if I wrote any more for this week, you know?**

 **So, yeah, remember last time, right? InuYasha's got Kagome, and Sesshoumaru's coming to her aid. What is going to happen now?**

 **Tell me what you think of this new development.**

 **(I'm posting this on Thursday, instead of Friday, because I was done with this chapter on Tuesday and couldn't bring myself to wait any longer. It seems my anxiety is on my readers' side Haha)**

 **Read and review. 3**

 **Chapter 30: Proximity**

Sesshoumaru had just left Bokusenou. He was… Well, terrified didn't even begin to cover what he felt after hearing all of the tree's conjectures. And he was not one easily frightened. As a matter of fact, he would have said scaring him at all was impossible. Would have, before tonight. And he thought he could not get any more scared than he already was until he felt this pull at his most basic instinct. Something was wrong with his pack, and a voice called to him.

His energy sphere took him back to Edo. It was the shortest trip he had ever made, and he landed right in front of the kitsune, who still cried for him. It had been the boy's voice ringing through his mind. Quickly checking his immediate surroundings, the daiyoukai located Rin, Jaken, Ah-Un and most of the humans. Two people were not in the hut, though.

"Kit," said he. The boy immediately stopped and looked to him, as though he hadn't realized he was no longer alone. Sesshoumaru could ask the question he so desperately needed the answer to. "Where is your mother?" He knew right then and there what the problem was, for Shippou started crying all over again. "Where is she?", he tried again.

"I-Inu-InuYasha… G-Goshin-Goshinboku", the boy's answer was choked, but it was enough. Sesshoumaru took off towards the sacred tree as fast as his legs could carry him.

He stepped into the clearing just in time to see his half-brother's claws slash onto Kagome's arms, which our stretched in front of her face, in an attempted defense. His eyes bled as her screams filled his ears.

InuYasha was suddenly off the miko, as his body was thrown to the other side of the clearing. All the space was instantly filled with the lord's growl, as he knelt by his intended, preparing to attack again.

Kagome looked at him with wide eyes, her arms still in front of her face. She felt paralyzed. It's not that she was afraid of Sesshoumaru or anything. She just couldn't find it in herself to move an inch.

The hanyou jumped to his feet, and then saw what had tackled him. His half-brother looked at him with the utmost anger in his eyes.

"Leave," said Sesshoumaru, his voice so low and deadly it sound like a growl. He knew he ought to stay where he was and tend to Kagome's wounds, but all he wanted to do right now was rip InuYasha's head off. He had never needed his self-control so much. When the whelp moved no muscle, he released the actual growl stuck in his chest, and it made the whole clearing rumble along with his body. "Leave."

Kagome had finally managed to lower her arms and now watched the looks exchanged between the two brothers. If she and InuYasha had looked at each other, they would find that they agreed: the daiyoukai probably had never been to scarily intimidating in his life.

It was odd, though, that she couldn't bring herself to be afraid of him. She saw it in his stance he was there for her. Plus, his furious eyes being directed at InuYasha, instead of her, helped a lot.

And the growl… She didn't just hear it. She felt it inside of her. And apparently, so did the hanyou opposite from them. For once, he didn't try to fight his older brother. He just took steps back until he reached the tree line and ran off.

Only then did Sesshoumaru look to Kagome. In an instant, he was at her side and began examining her arms.

"I-I'm okay, Sesshoumaru," she tried soothing him. The stinging cuts on her skin made her flinch, though. He merely looked at her before turning his attention back to her arms.

"This one should have listened to his instincts and stayed," said he as he tended to her wounds, more to himself than to her. The miko could see the anger still burning in his eyes, and figures he was downright beating himself up for what had happened. Slipping a hand from his grasp, she risked touching his face.

"Hey. Hey," she said, trying to get him to look at her, which he seemed somewhat reluctant about. When he finally looked up, she went on. "It's not your fault. You did what you had to do. We have a new enemy now, an enemy we need to know about. Our group-our pack", she corrected herself, hoping the daiyoukai would probably be easier that way, "was bound to be separated for a while eventually. Any enemy would take advantage of that. It's not like you planned to leave yesterday, or that you had any way of knowing what was going to happen. So, it doesn't change the fact that I trust you," she finished, a soft smile on her lips. _Let alone change the fact that I love you_ , she thought to herself, _even if it's not meant to be_. That thought made her sad, and it did not help that she was hurt, or that he was so close to her. She forced herself to fake a smile for his sake.

Sesshoumaru was at a loss. He had truly thought the woman hated him. It was his fault she had been injured.. He had failed as an alpha. He had failed as her protector. He had failed as her suitor. Sure she would want him as far away from her as possible, he had almost avoided her gaze. Of course, that would be cowardly, and so beneath him. He knew the hatred he was bound to see in her eyes would be worse than death, though.

Imagine his surprise, then, when he saw in her nothing but forgiveness - she had realized somehow he would need her to forgive him before he could forgive himself. She was the most understanding creature he had ever met. And she was brave. InuYasha might have never caught him before, but he had been wounded. And even though his power and training could overcome almost any wound, he could imagine what it must be for a human to have their arms cut like that. Still, this miko wore a smile on her face. For him.

The daiyoukai had his intended's forgiveness. Now, then, it was time to prove her he was indeed worthy. When he was finished cleaning her wounds and dressing them with a piece of his sleeve, he looked her in the eyes. "I will not leave you unprotected again."

"Don't worry, Sesshoumaru. It won't be necessary," she said, sighing. "I just need some time for my powers to come back."

"Until then, I will not leave your side."

The silver-haired man gathered her in his arms and stood up. And then, he could put her down and be content with her walking, or he could enjoy the feeling her body against his gave him.

While he still debated with himself, Kagome was looking at him, confused and somewhat afraid. Not that he should do something against her. No. That he should put her down. Well, she might as well enjoy this as long as she could. As the woman subconsciously snuggled against his chest, he looked down. A good thing she had her eyes closed too, for his own were wide. Did she truly feel this comfortable in his arms? Dared he hope? Even after he had failed her so?

He would prove himself to her. He hadn't been good enough to deserve her, and probably would never be, even with all that he was. That didn't mean he couldn't try.

With his mind resolved and bringing her closer to his body, he slowly made his way back to the village.

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InuYasha had watched the whole exchange, hidden in the shadows. He didn't know exactly when he had lost control over his body, but now that he had it again, he realized a few things.

One, he had lost Kagome. For good, this time. He could see the love for his half-brother in her eyes, and he could see his brother's love for her in his. He had no way of knowing for sure, he guessed they were not yet together.

Two, the bastard was now leader of their pack. InuYasha was no fool; he saw his brother's power and determination. And he himself being apparently unable to keep them safe, he must step back and allow Sesshoumaru to do what was right.

Three, he remembered everything he had done - or that he had been commanded to do. Unlike the first times, when he had been blind to all, he had seen it all, like in a dream. It was all foggy, but still clear enough for him to see. And he hated himself for what had happened. For hurting Kagome.

And lastly, he knew exactly who had put them all in this situation. And he also had a very good idea of how it was being done. It was way past the time he had settled this. If he had just been kicked out of his pack by his brother, he could have a chance of earning his place amongst them by managing to do right by their pack. Avenge himself, avenge Kagome, avenge them all. He could only hope it wasn't too little, or too late.

Growling, he walked away from the clearing, just as the first sun rays began to light the horizon. He would start now, and maybe he would be able to meet his friends again the following moon.

If this person didn't mess with his mind again, that is.


	31. Chapter 31 - Warnings

**AN: Hello, beautiful readers!**

 **Here's this week's chapters. And here are the answers to your reviews to the previous one. 3**

 **Darknessdawns: Thank you so much! And yes, InuYasha will try and fix things. I don't think it'll be that easier, though, and after this chapter you'll understand why. And as for or favorite couple, well, I think it's time someone took this matter into their own hands, isn't it? The question is, who will?**

 **sllmidnight: Wow, thank you SO much! I hope to keep the curve balls coming. I kinda like it when a writer surprises me. And I hope you'll like the next chapters too!**

 **keylala79: Thank you, and here's more! :)**

 **Juliastes: Well, remember Sesshoumaru mentioned a spell? (I think it was on the 11th or 12th chapter, maybe?) Well, this is actually the answer to all that. This part of the story is actually coming to a close. I'm not saying in the next chapter, but surely in the next three or four.**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Yeah, I kinda decided he'd had enough bashing, and it was time to make him at least a little reasonable. Let's face it, it IS kinda obvious that the two are in love with each other! Haha**

 **So, I'm currently half-way through with chapter 32. I am NOT happy with a few things about it, though, and I'll probably rewrite it before posting. Sorry. Be happy to know, though, that there's a lot of fluff coming your way! \o/**

 **And I feel like you'll probably either love me loads or hate my guts after this chapter. Which one it will be remains to be seen. LoL**

 **I hope you like it, though. I had a good time writing it.**

 **Read and review. 3**

 **Chapter 31: Warnings**

Kagome watched as the sun set behind the hills to the west, glad to have a moment's peace. The whole InuYasha ordeal that morning had left everyone in such a state that she had almost gone crazy trying to soothe them. And that included having each and every one of her friends fuss over her the whole day - surprising

Kaede probably realized that something was on her mind, and found a way to send each person on an errand. None of them had liked it, and Sesshoumaru had hated it. So, the old miko asked him to watch the children as they played in a field near the hut. Sango and Miroku were helping her with some errands in their own village and Jaken and Ah-Un were to to the next one to shop for a few things (all for Kagome). Needless to say the imp hadn't been too happy about it, but the daiyoukai''s glare had sent him away in a hurry.

Sesshoumaru wasn't so excited either, but he could understand. Much had happened in the last few days, and his intended would probably have a lot to think on. Plus, he wouldn't be too far off. She was still within earshot.

Therefore, now, Kagome was on her own, looking at the landscape before her. So beautiful, so calm it all looked, she actually found it her to understand how she could feel such a turmoil inside. And just one way to try and sort it all out.

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Sesshoumaru watched her from afar as she positioned herself. Her arms were bandaged where InuYasha's attacked had slashed her. It made him growl. He still wasn't past his anger at the hanyou, nor his anger at himself. Shippou heard it loud and clear and froze in place, ducking behind Rin.

"Is everything okay, Sesshoumaru-sama?", she asked, using the newly learned word. He eyed the girl, a look that clearly told her to just drop the subject. She shrugged it off, and went back to the drawing she had been working on with the boy. The latter, on the other hand, raised his head to look at the daiyoukai.

"Speak, kit," said the lord.

"I-I was wondering if I could ask you something, Sesshoumaru-sama," Shippou risked. He was still afraid of their new pack leader, but it was time he had the nerve to approach him. When he got a nod for an answer, he hopped closer. "Sesshoumaru-sama, for long do you plan on staying with us?" RIn raised her eyes to watch the exchange. She had known this conversation would have to happen sooner or later. There was only so much she could do to put her young companion's mind at ease.

That was a curious question. What was going through the child's head? Sesshoumaru stared at him for a moment, pondering if he should answer at all, and if so, if he would do it before or after satisfying his own curiosity. The kit was pack, and also Kagome's ward. Maybe he should be given the right to ask a few questions. Plus, his scent and aura told of fear and sadness and… hope? "As long as your mother needs and wants this one around," he decided to answer. "Why do you ask?"

"B-because…", Shippou had to pause for a moment and take a deep breath before trying to speak again. "Because I think you're good for us. Especially for Okaa-san…" Another pause for breath. "I-I… I don't want you to go." This last part was but a whisper.

Sesshoumaru looked at the kit. He wasn't afraid of him, then. "What troubles you, boy?"

Shippou looked at him with wide eyes, and then paused, seemingly weighting some sort of decision. Looking up again, he said "Wouldn't InuYasha have attacked Okaa-san sooner if you weren't around? He'd be treating her even worse than he was, right? W-what if-What if..." The kit's eyes filled with tears.

So _that_ was where the fear came from. Kagome's safety. Of course, the kitsune was youkai and instinctively understood pack dynamics. He also understood danger, even though he wasn't mature yet to handle it on hi own. "The hanyou won't threaten the pack any longer. Your mother is safe."

Shippou trembled as he did something he had never thought of doing before, be it out of fear or out of pride. He launched himself on the daiyoukai's lap, his small fists grabbing the white silk of his clothes. "Th-thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama," he whispered.

The lord looked on, a hint of surprise in his mind as he watched the boy. He hadn't expected such a display of gratitude. Or of despair. Not in one so young. And he guessed Kagome didn't know about the depth of her son's worries either. Not even he had felt it anywhere in his aura or scent.

He could shove the boy away. Of course he could. He was not so cruel to think it acceptable, though. Nor was he without honor. Shippou looked to him as a leader, as he indeed was. He made the only thing he could think of, awkward as it was. He patted the child's hair as he allowed his chest to rumble in a low growl, which calmed the boy until he was asleep.

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Kagome's meditation lasted over an hour. Quite an eventful one, one could say, ironic as it may sound. She had finally been able to lightly touch the reason why InuYasha had attacked her. But only lightly. When she finally thought she could firmly grasp it, it had evaded her.

And decisions had to be made. She had opened her eyes to find herself inside the Shikon no Tama. She could hear and watch all that was out there. Kage held the jewel in his hands and eyed it lustfully. "Very few parts of you are missing now. In a few weeks' time, you'll see…", it whispered. Then, in an extremely unnatural and strong voice, it called "Onigumo!"

"Y-yes, Kage-sama," replied a weak, crying voice in the corner, hidden by the shadows. Kagome couldn't see who or what it was that answered by her deceased enemy's name, but she didn't had a good feeling about this..

"I want to you to call for Kanna. She is to keep me posted on this girl's location." it ordered. "Hers are the only shards out of my reach. Hers and that wolf's. His death is upon him. however, and the time to complete the jewel is upon us. Once that is done, I have great plans for this miko as well." This last part was a lot quieter than the first, and if this sentence alone wasn't bad enough, it actually sounded much, much worse.

Movement in the dark called the young woman's attention and she saw what had once been Naraku - or his human part, that is -, his face distorted and scarred almost beyond recognition. His eyes were swollen and red, matching his iris perfectly. The monkey pelt he had worn for years hung from his shoulder in rags, and there was blood all over his skin. For a moment, his eyes fell on the jewel and Kagome had the impression he was looking at her. _That's impossible, though_ , she told herself, forcing herself to believe. It all failed when she saw him mouth _save yourself_.

That made her emerge from her trance with a gasp. How was that even possible? Wasn't Naraku dead? Okay, she had met a few people - and Kikyou counted as more than once here, apparently - who had come back from the dead, but that was just ridiculous!

And besides, since when did Naraku, dead or alive, worried about the lives of others?

It didn't sit right with her. None of it!

She needed Sesshoumaru! He needed to hear what she had just found - and he needed to tell her what Bokusenou had wanted!

Well… At least one good thing came from this hour meditating… Her powers were back, almost to their full strength. They could leave again the next morning.

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Shippou woke up as his mother's scent grew closer. With his eyes closed, he found himself surrounded by a scent not unfamiliar altogether, but still… He could neither recognize it right away, nor remember ever having been involved by it like this. Opening them, he found himself sleeping in white fur. _Mokomoko-sama!_ , he thought to himself. What was he doing with it? Sesshoumaru never took it off!

He looked up to see Rin smiling at him as the lord walked away. "I hope you're feeling better now, Shippou-chan."

"I am, thanks," he said. Her smile grew wider. "Where's Sesshoumaru-sama going?

"I don't know. He isn't going far, though, I'm sure," she answered softly. "In the meantime, why don't you go back to your drawing?"

This invitation, made in the hopes of distracting the kit, was met with the wide eyes and enthusiastic smile of someone who remembers something nice. The boy ran to the papers and crayons, grabbed them and brought them back. The mokomoko-sama was the most cozy thing he had ever felt, apart from his mother's sleeping bag. Well, Sesshoumaru was the leader of the pack, so, he concluded, he was kind of allowed to enjoy it as long as they guy let him, wasn't he?

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Sesshoumaru had seen the miko open her eyes and look his way. When her gaze met his, he knew they had to talk. They met midway and she led him to the Goshinboku. She looked at him again as she sat down at the tree's roots, just where he had found her that very morning and saved her from InuYasha. He took it as an invitation to sit beside her.

"We got much to decide, you know," she began. "Our time is running out.

"What have you seen?", asked he, guessing she had been able to find something through meditation.

The young woman took in a deep breath and told him all that she had seen. She knew their focus should be on Kage, but she couldn't help but tell him about InuYasha also, imagining he would choose to ignore it for now either way. She was right.

"You say the Shadow has plans for you," he said just as she finished her tale, his growl reverberating through the clearing. He could guess what said plans might be, and they angered him to no end. Why was it that no one seemed capable of leaving his intended alone? She nodded. "Hn. Bokusenou says the Tenseiga is a powerful weapon against this enemy. He also deems it improbable that I be able to use my own sword to kill it."

"Is that what he wanted, then?"

"It was," he said, still growling.

"Why?"

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. "He believes youki alone is not able to do it."

Kagome thought for a moment. She had a guess at what the magnolia meant. Demonic and holy power should unite. Maybe if she could handle the sword… But that didn't solve the problem of uniting their very auras and souls. Whatever that meant. Not that would be able to find out for now either. Still, she realized she had made a decision during the meditation. No matter what she what came her way, there was something she needed to do.

When Sesshoumaru opened his eyes again, he found her staring at him. Her gaze was intense. Her scent had hints of fear, sadness and… hope? What had passed through her mind?

A dark blush tinted her face as his eyes met hers. "Sesshoumaru, I-I think we need to talk."

He raised a brow. What on earth? "I was under the impression we already were."

"I-I know. This is different, though," Kagome replied, her cheeks getting redder by the second. He just looked on and waited for her to speak. "Look, I-I'm sure this is gonna go south, but I just need to say it…" _Here it goes_ , she thought nervously, her hands fidgeting in her lap. "I'm in love with you," she blurted out. "Have been for a while."

The daiyoukai froze in place, his eyes wide. What?


	32. Chapter 32 - Reactions and answers

**AN: Hello there!**

 **Longer chapter yet! I must say I'm kinda proud of myself. Haha**

 **I think it's pretty safe to say by now that we're (way) past the half of this story, and heading towards its end. I'm not sure how many chapters it'll be, though.**

 **I also wanted to thank all of my reviewers. I don't think I ever had as many reviews on one chapter! Thank you so, so much!**

 **sllmidnight: Thanks! And here's next! Haha**

 **.X: Yes. Evil and powerful. More so than Naraku could ever hope to be, as a matter of fact.**

 **Juliastes: Well, he's been honest with himself for a while now, but the truth is he had NOT been expecting THAT. Haha**

 **yarix12: I'm glad you liked it! (Sorry for not replying in Spanish. I'm pretty useless in that language apart from reading.)**

 **REDWOLF47: Thank you so much!**

 **Darknessdawns: I'll try to keep the plot twists coming. Apparently you guys like them! Haha Thank you so much. And yes, this chapter has a WHOLE LOT of fluff. Haha**

 **ladybug02: I was itching for these two chapters myself. Haha**

 **sesshysgodestris: Fret not! Here's what's coming next! 3**

 **There's fluff here. A WHOLE LOT OF IT. And there's a little surprise towards the end of the chapter.**

 **I hope you have fun in reading it as much as I had in writing it.**

 **Read and review. 3**

 **Chapter 32: Reactions and answers**

Even though Sesshoumaru was a male of very few words, never before in his life had he been left speechless. He stared at Kagome, his eyes a fraction wider than usual. Had she truly just told him she was in love with him? _And that left me paralyzed?_ , he thought angrily to himself. _What kind of alpha hears something like that - instead of saying it first - and then freezes where he is?_

He knew the miko was waiting for him to react, and by the look in her eyes and the smell of tears, she probably had taken his lack of reaction as a rejection. He was right.

"I-I'm sorry to bother you so, Sesshoumaru-sama," she murmured, lifting herself from the ground. How stupid had she been? Had she forgotten who she was talking to? He was probably so disgusted even he couldn't bring himself to react. She needed to get out of here!

As the human began to walk away, however, a hand grabbed her wrist. The next thing she knew was that she had been spun around. Sesshoumaru's lips met hers in an ardent, urgent kiss. Her world stopped. Her mind only managed to wrap itself around what was happening when, a second later, his hand left her wrist to take her waist and the other went to cup her face. Then her hands found their way to his arm and chest, as he drew her closer.

Her lips began moving against his, and their kiss took off, each burning like fire as they begged to be closer to each other. Even though he wanted to keep on kissing her, Sesshoumaru knew he had only done this to make a point. He pulled back from her soft lips and stared at her deep, blue eyes, now glazed. She panted as she stared back at him.

"Never call me by the honorific again," he asked. His voice was soft, almost pleading. Kagome was much too confused to know where to even start asking. He went on. "You say you love me."

"Y-yes," the miko stated, closing her eyes in shame. Where the hell was he going with this? Did he have a point or something?

"Koishii, look at me. Please," now his voice really was pleading, and he knew it. When she opened her eyes again, he said "I thought I could never deserve to hear that from you. Especially after what happened today."

"I-I don't understand."

"This one was not here when InuYasha attacked you. I failed you both as an alpha and as a suitor. Even though you forgave me, I did not think you'd deem me worthy," it was his turn to close his eyes, touching her forehead with his. "I was… surprised to hear you loved me."

"And… And-and how do you feel about it?" Okay, so he didn't look like she had offended him. Where did that leave her, though? Wasn't a kiss followed by rejection worse than sheer rejection? Why had he kissed her anyway? Kami, she couldn't take it anymore! "Relieved?"

Kagome had never been good at hiding her emotions. As a matter fact, she had made a point throughout her life not to hide them. And so, at this moment, if her scent wasn't enough to tell the daiyoukai still holding her of what she felt, her eyes were.

"Words are not enough to describe what I feel," he replied. His voice was sweet, deep and silky as his thumb caressed his cheek, "Relief, yes. But so much more." He leaned in again and whispered against her mouth. "I love you, Kagome." He brushed his lips against hers before claiming them once more.

The miko felt the air leave her lungs as soon as he did, and clung to his body for support when her legs threatened to give in, her mouth the only part of her body she could fully trust right now. He took he by the waist as she deepened the kiss, and both lost sight of everything else. For a moment, there was no Naraku, no Kage. No InuYasha. No Shikon no Tama. There wasn't even a pack. There was just the two of them, for whom the world seemed to stop and slowly fade from existence.

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InuYasha glared at the cause for his problems. The undead woman he had once loved. She sat lazily at the river bank, new souls arriving to feed her. The weird thing is that they were not being dropped by her soul-collectors over her body. They were being dropped in the ashes of a fire next to her.

He knew she had noticed his presence, but she insisted on ignoring him. His vicious growl scared off many birds and beasts in the woods, but still Kikyou did not look at him.

The hanyou had never been a patient man, and being ignored like this by someone who had, until very recently, claimed to love him back… It was more than he could take. "Kikyou!", he called.

Still not looking at him, the woman took some beads out of her kimono. He recognized them instantly. These beads were the ones that should be resting around his neck. The ones that should have been available for Kagome to use when he attacked her.

"Why?", he yelled. "Why?"

"I want my soul, InuYasha. I want to be alive again," she murmured, still playing with the beads in her hand. "I thought you wanted that too."

"I-I did! "B- but not at the cost of my friends' lives! Least of all Kagome's!", he staggered. "You can't just take over my mind and make me harm them!"

"I can't," she said, standing up and throwing one single bead to the fire. "Can I?"

At that moment, InuYasha felt something familiar, but which he could only now recognize. A force was born within him, trying to control his will. This was the spell Kikyou had been using. He tried to fight it off, but found himself overcome by it. Once again, he was forced to watch his body move of its own volition, locked in a cage inside his own mind.

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Kagome's head laid on Sesshoumaru's chest. She wanted so much to relax in his arms and forget there was anything else. She knew better, though. What she had seen… She just couldn't shake the look on Onigumo's face. And what she had heard. She couldn't put that aside either.

"We need to move," she muttered.

"Why do you say that, koishii?", she was surprised to hear the daiyoukai's response. She hadn't noticed she had actually said anything out loud. Now that she did notice it, however, she realized it really was better to discuss it with him.

"I've thinking about what I saw through Midoriko's eyes. Kage is coming after both me and Kouga. We need to act before it does," she explained. "So I'm thinking I gotta keep my shards hidden. We can't know for sure, but I'm betting it won't be able to cross the well."

"You plan on leaving them at your family's home in the future," he concluded. "How safe is it?"

"Pretty safe, I guess," the miko answered. "No one would even need to know about it. I'd take them back when we complete the jewel. Until then, it'll be hidden and out of anybody else's reach."

There were, however, some things Sesshoumaru needed to be sure of before fully agreeing with her plan. "You are not yet ready to travel."

"I'm not at my full capacity, no," she replied. "We don't have much time to waste, though, and if I can meditate at least a little every day, I can go back to growing in power, I think."

Looking at her eyes, the lord knew she was determined to leave as soon as possible. Moreover, her reasoning was sound in every aspect he looked at. If she was right about the Shadow, they truly were running out of time. So, as she jumped through the well to hide the shards, he would go tell the rest of their pack to prepare to leave at first light. But that was only because the well hadn't granted him passage - a truly annoying and frustrating experience, he found.

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The miko had been surprised when, after coming back from the future, she was met with Sesshoumaru, Rin and Shippou. She had been absolutely flabbergasted when she found out the reason for them all to be there.

The lord had helped her out of the well and then knelt in front of Shippou, stating in the most soothing tone she had ever heard. "I told you your mother would be safe, kit. If you will accept this one's suit for her, as is your job as her child, I shall take you both under my protection, and die before allowing any harm to come to you or her."

Shippou's eyes had filled with tears, and nodded firmly before bowing. Sesshoumaru nodded his head and took Kagome's hand. When the children were put to bed that night, the daiyoukai did not touch her as he led her to a stream, where he looked her deep in the eyes before speaking. "We have stated our feelings towards each other, but I have yet to ask you the most important question. There's something I must know."

"What is that, Sesshoumaru?", she asked, her brows raising above her bangs.

"I want you, Kagome. I need you beside me. I have never desired anything so," and with that, he raised a single hand to caress Kagome's face. "If you'll have me, I shall gladly spend the rest of my existence by your side. I am asking you to become my mate, koishii" When she still looked confused, he thought for a moment. He had supposed that, traveling for so long with a taijyia and a hanyou, she would know something about youkai mating rituals. If she did, then was this her refusal?

"W-what exactly does it mean, Sesshoumaru? To become mates, I mean," she asked. He looked hurt when she hadn't given him an answer at once, and even though she was embarrassed and feeling dumb for asking, she knew it would be much, much worse if he felt offended and rejected. And she was right. His eyes changed at hearing the question.

"Humans marry. And marriage is easily dissolved, although it is not customary to do so. Youkai mate, and produce a mark on each other which lasts as long as both live," he explained. "It is not easily dissolved, and to do so usually results in physical pain. The mark, however, will never disappear."

"Much like the experience marks you forever," she concluded, and he nodded in response. "Are you really sure you want to spend eternity with me?"

He nodded again. "If you'll have me, we shall enter courtship tonight."

"Courtship," the miko repeated. Well, that word she could understand. Sort of. When his eyes hinted at hurt again, she smiled sweetly to him, "I'd be honoured by that. I just want to understand the whole thing better."

Sesshoumaru almost sighed in relief. She had told him she loved him. Still, he had had his doubts whether she would truly want him. Of course, he understood humans and demons had different ideas, but still… It all was that much clearer for him, who could now understand her uneasiness. Moving his face closer to hers again, he whispered, "There will be time for that, koishii," before kissing her.

This kiss was slow. Painfully so. Kagome felt his arms snake around her waist, her own hands on his chest. Moving her lips, she was disappointed when his mouth left hers. All disappointment vanished as he trailed tender kisses over her jawline. The daiyoukai's fangs grazed over the miko's neck, and she shivered, gripping the silk of his clothes. He allowed himself a moment to revel in how much she reacted and seemed to want him before focusing his youki on his lips. At that, the young woman sighed and let her head fell backwards. She didn't know what had changed, nor was she that much interested. She just knew she didn't want it to end.

After a few moments, he trailed his kisses back up to her mouth, soothing both her and himself, tenderly brushing their lips together. "You are mine, koishii, as I am yours. Now every creature with a nose for scents will know that in you. And I hope to find a way to do the same in this one," he said, looking her in the eyes.

"How's that?', she asked.

"I have marked you. Your scent now carries a hint of mine," was his explanation.

"I see," she asked, thoughtfully. After a while, she spoke again. "Sesshoumaru, I'm curious about one thing."

"What is it, koishii?"

"Why didn't you ask to court me before? I mean, when we were at the clearing near the well… Why now, and not then?"

Realization shone in his eyes, and she had to say it was almost funny to see the eyes of the great and cold Sesshoumaru-sama so expressive. Not to mention cute. But she refrained from commenting on that. "It is not unusual for youkai to mate after having pups, if they are orphaned of one of their parents for whatever reason." He brushed his lips against her temple before going on. "It is customary for the new suitor to ask permission for the pups, however young."

"Is it because the female already has sons, or something?", she asked.

"Humans in this age care much for gender, and the male has the advantage. It is not so with youkai," he told her. She could see it was all very obvious to him. He had probably been taught that from a very young age. "For the suitor, male or female, the pup's gender is indifferent. The decision of pursuing their parent affects them, and so they should have a say in it. Were your kit to refuse me, I would need to gain his trust before ever asking for your hand."

Kagome's eyes went wide. Sesshoumaru had talked to Shippou, but she hadn't… "Oh, Kami!", she cried. "Did I offend Rin-chan? You know, I didn't ask her to… Oh, no! What if she…? What if you…? Oh, Kami!"

As she rambled away in a frenzy, Sesshoumaru struggled to understand what was wrong. It took him a while. "Kagome, calm yourself," he said, and the woman stopped talking. "Rin does not understand youkai custom. It's instinctive for us, but she has no youkai blood, nor education on mating rituals. I have postponed it as far as I could. And even if she did know about it, I doubt she would be offended. She is very fond of you."

Kagome then sighed in relief. She loved Rin dearly; the last thing she wanted was to hurt the girl's feelings. And as she looked at her lover's eyes, all she could see was honesty: she hadn't wronged the girl.

"That's a relief. Let's go back in, then," she said with a smile. "We need to tell the others. And we need to go to sleep early. We have much ground to cover tomorrow." Sesshoumaru let himself be led back to the hut, inwardly chuckling at his intended's anctics.

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It had been quite a few months since the gang had met with Kouga, and that was exactly . He had become somewhat aggressive with time, and Kagome was just thankful InuYasha wasn't around. There was no knowing what would how the hanyou would react should the ookami look at her the wrong way. She felt safe with Sesshoumaru, though, who had always been known to have as close to perfect self-control as was possible. He was, after all, cold and precise. To most people, that is. Not to her, though, she thought with a smile. Nor Shippou, nor Rin. The three of them managed to see him in different lights.

The lord might not be partial to Sango or Miroku, but he did not went out of his way to hide his affectionate way anymore. He was soon to be mated. If Rin had already been like a daughter to him before, he had a family now. He could indulge in it while there was no danger near.

Imagine Kagome's surprise, then, when, after three days on the road, he suddenly became stiff and his cold mask - the one she hadn't seen in well over a week - was back in place. She then sensed two jewel shards, and knew it was Kouga. Hadn't she told Sesshoumaru they'd try and find him? Why was he acting like it was some sort of threat? Then, she could feel Kouga's aura, and realized it was pulsing angrily. _Oh, boy_ , she groaned to herself. This was not going to end well!


	33. Chapter 33 - Competition

**AN: Hello, people!**

 **I've been really happy with all the feedback I'm getting! Thank you so much to everyone who's either reviewed the story or messaged me!**

 **Plus, ohhh! I'm getting better at long chapters! LoL**

 **Juliastes: Thank you! And that's a lot of pressure. hahaha I hope to live up to your expectations. Tell me what you think 3**

 **sakura-moonrose-hime: Thank you. I'll try to avoid them, but feel free to tell me when there's more. 3**

 **.X: I hope you like what you see here!**

 **Darknessdawns: Thank you SO, SO much! I hope to keep on doing that hahaha although I can tell you this chapter won't end with such a cliffhanger. Haha And there's more fluff on the way, rest assured.**

 **ladybug02: 3**

 **So, last chapter ended with InuYasha once again under Kikyou's spell, and Kouga approaching the group. Confrontation is on the way. Now, I don't see any of this being easy, do you? Haha**

 **I hope you guys like it.**

 **Read and review 3**

 **Chapter 33: Competition**

InuYasha felt a fog hang over his head, clouding his eyes. He watched to all as though it were a dream. His feet dragged him through the woods without his consent now that Kikyou was done with him.

Not for good, no. Just for the moment, and just in her presence. She was still pulling his strings, as Kagome would say. The undead woman had made love to him

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Kouga was livid. His nose was pretty good. It was excellent, as a matter of fact, no false modesty needed. So, when he smelled Kagome's scent in the distance, of course he adjusted his course so it'd cross hers. And when he got a little closer and smelled a male's scent mixed with hers, his howl was loud enough to scare most birds and beasts several miles away and his aura started pulsing viciously. That was answered by angry pulsation from the male.

Weird…, he thought. This guy's both scent and aura felt slightly familiar, but he didn't remember ever meeting anyone like that. And the closer he got, the more powerful he realized his rival to be, No matter, he dismissed this observation. I have the jewel shards on me. For the looks of it, this guy has nothing. No way he's gonna beat me up!

Such was the ookami youkai's train of thought until he got close enough, and the full proportion of this other male hit his senses. Who was this freaking guy? And what was he doing so near Kouga's woman?

A vicious growl erupted from the wolf's throat as he listed up possibilities. It was obvious to his mind that Kagome was destined to be his. It was only a matter of time before he could mate with her. So he figured no other male had any business marking her, and it must have happened against her will. His blood boiled at the thought of anyone touching her, and he saw red.

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Kagome was worried. Sesshoumaru was quiet. Deadly so. He hadn't so much as looked to the side, his eyes trained on the direction Kouga was coming from. She had to do something about it if she wanted to avoid a fight which she was sure would be much worse than any argument between him and InuYasha.

The miko didn't spare a look to her human friends to know if they had sensed the wolf's aura approaching. No need to. She knew they had. Ever since InuYasha had gone away, they had been more active in the group. It looks like the hanyou's presence had been pulling its toll on them as well.

She touched Sesshoumaru's arm lightly. "Hey, I can sense two shards coming this way," she said, trying to get him to talk.

"Kage said it had plans for you. It could very easily be one of its minions - it certainly proved capable of producing them, if Onigumo is alive", he growled. "Or any other piece of filth coming after you and the shards." His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I don't think it's anything like that," she insisted.

He looked at her, one brow raised. "Oh?"

"I know this aura, and judging by the speed these two shards are coming, it's gotta be Kouga." At that, her hand found its way to his and squeezed it. "He's quite harmless, you know."

"Hn. His aura says different," the daiyoukai replied, looking forward again.

Kagome swallowed hard. She knew he was right. Kouga wasn't happy. This confrontation had already begun to warm up; she needed to find a way to avoid it. And she needed to do it fast.

Two hours went by, and still she had but a sorry excuse of a plan. It's not like she could build a barrier to separate the two males, that'd make things worse! Sesshoumaru's stance had become stiffer and stiffer, and Kouga would arrive at any moment. Oh, well, the sorry excuse of a plan it was, then. "Sesshoumaru, I need you to do something for me. Please?" He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She knew that was about the only reaction she would get from him at this point. "I know Kouga can be overwhelming sometimes, but please let me try and handle him, okay?"

"Why?", he merely asked.

"'Cause I know you both, and given the circumstances I can see how this meeting could easily turn into a fight, which we don't need right now," she replied softly. "Plus, he's an ally. He might help us."

At that, Sesshoumaru fully looked at her for the first time in a few hours. He had been so tense he hadn't dared deviate his gaze. What he saw in her eyes told him of worry and fear. "You are worried," he stated more than asked.

"Well, yeah, of course I am!", she answered. "I love you, and consider Kouga a friend. I don't wanna see you hurting him."

A funny feeling took him. He was a bit jealous at that last part. She was worried about another male. A friend. But that same sentence also made his chest fill with pride. So, she trusted him to win whatever battle might occur. She also didn't want to see him hurting someone else. Talk about emotional controversy here. His eyes fell back on the road as he thought for a moment. "I will not harm the wolf if I can help it," he said.

She threw her arms around his waist. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru," she whispered. The daiyoukai stopped walking for a second and pulled her closer to him. He guessed they could afford a… His thoughts were interrupted when the wind picked up, a windwhirl coming their way at a tremendous speed. When it dissipated, a young man appeared in front of them.

Sesshoumaru eyed him closely. This newcomer's eyes fell immediately on Kagome. "Hi, Kouga! What's up?", she greeted with excitement, without letting go of the embrace she was in. The man in her arms noticed, though, that this excitement was not the most sincere he had seen in her eyes. He could feel her arms tense around his waist, as though trying to keep both males apart.

"Hey, 'Gome! How's my woman doing?", the wolf asked, taking a step closer. His woman? So that was what this was all about. The cub thought to have a claim on her.

The miko felt Sesshoumaru's hand touch her arm, and slowly released him. "Kouga, this is Sesshoumaru's. He's InuYasha's half-brother."

"Half-brother, eh?", Kouga said. Then, turning to the inu youkai. "You the full-blooded guy, right? Suppose that's better than a hanyou. Still a mutt, though," he said chuckling.

"Watch your tongue, wolf," the lord said in a low voice. It wasn't the most deadly tone Kagome had heard him use before. When she saw Kouga couch slightly, she knew it had been deadly enough.

"Okay, okay. That's enough!" she interrupted them. "We don't need any of that now, do we?", said the miko, looking between the two men.

"Why are you stopping, us, Kagome?", Kouga cried in annoyance. "You've got this mutt's scent all over you!" He made for her arm, but she dodged him.

"I guessed as much, Kouga," she replied in as soft a tone as she could muster. The situation was delicate enough as it was. No need to begin a fight herself. "We entered courtship four days ago."

At that Sesshoumaru became even stiffer, if that was possible. His intended was not aware of youkai customs and traditions, but that didn't change the fact that there were customs and traditions, nor that this man had full knowledge of them, just as much as him. That being the case, his arm encircled her waist and pulled her behind him, while he heard the demon slayer cry "Kagome, why would you say it like that?" Hn. So the woman knew of these customs. Why hadn't she sought to educate his future mate? She must have been very much aware of the problems that could arise.

Shippou hopped from Ah-Un's back to his alpha's shoulder with a hiss, and Kouga growled even louder. "You think you can just keep my woman from me?"

"Shut it, fleabag!", Shippou's own growl wasn't threatening at all. In fact, it was kind of cute. Still, he meant it as the warning it was supposed to be.

"Kit," the daiyoukai said. "Take your mother to Ah-Un and Jaken."

"B-but Kouga is gonna start a fight!", the boy cried. "He's gonna try take okaa-san away!"

"He will do no such thing. Go," was the answer, the older male's eyes trained on his rival. Shippou nodded and hastily hopped down to his mother's shoulder and motioned for them to step back. His next sentence was spoken in a growl. "The miko does not wish a fight, wolf, and I will avoid one for as long as I can. Don't think I will not engage you if need be."

Kouga glanced at Kagome, and saw the fear and worry in her eyes. "Hmpf. I won't start a fight she doesn't wanna see. You better watch it, though, mutt," he said, straightening his back once again. "She's my woman, and I'll have her for my mate. Don't you dare try and stop me!"

Sesshoumaru stopped for a split of a second, his eyes roaming through his surroundings before landing on the wolf once more. His lips then twitched in a small, dangerous smirk. "Fret not, wolf. I won't."

Kouga had to keep a tight control over himself to avoid his jaw from falling. He had imagined a great number of possible reactions to his threat based on what he had heard from the daiyoukai. That… That was not one of them. Now that he had seen that smirk, he was kinda scared. Sesshoumaru hadn't relinquished his claim, that much was certain. Then, what the hell did he mean by that?

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As the sun slided down towards the horizon, Kouga was on his way back to join Kagome and her pack. He had heard a soft howl in the distance. He didn't trust Sesshoumaru to protect his woman, but figured she had been worse off than that when InuYasha was around - where was the mutt, anyway? - , so she would survive his absence for a couple of hours. Stepping on the clearing where camp had been put up, he could smell at a short distance, he knew she was all right. Sesshoumaru was nowhere to be seen, and the wolf understood this as the opportunity it really was and seized it.

He looked Kagome, who was just coming back from a bath with the demon slayer, the human girl who tagged behind Sesshoumaru and the kit. He paused to admire her beauty as she chatted with the other females and played with the boy. Her smell called to his nose like a bouquet of flowers. Her laughter rang in his ears like music. And her motherhood appealed to his instincts like the most sensual ritual. She had never looked more beautiful. The youkai had always known there would be competition for her, and he wasn't afraid. He would defeat every rival to her suit that he dared look at her.

"Kagome, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Uh, sure, Kouga," the miko replied, as Rin and Sango moved toward the fire Miroku had just lit. As he looked around and seemed as nervous as he would allow himself to show, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's just…", he stopped. Then, taking a few deep breaths, during which he berated himself for his lack of courage. What the hell are you thinking? "Now that InuYasha is out of the way, now you can finally be my mate."

"Are you asking me if we can enter courtship?", she countered, her voice slightly annoyed. Oh, yes, she and Sango had talked about it: Kouga had taken her telling him about her and Sesshoumaru as an offence, and probably wanted to challenge the daiyoukai over her. But that was just the thing: she was not youkai. It was her choice, and she demanded the respect she deserved!

"Yeah, I mean, there's absolutely nothing stopping us from being together now, is there?"

The young woman open her mouth to give him an angry reply, but was stopped as Shippou spoke up. "Yeah, there is!"

Kouga's eyes went wide as he heard the kit's voice. "Wha'?"

"A number of things," the boy's eyes narrowed.

"Care to fill me in, runt?", Kouga, recovering from the shock, turned red in embarrassment and annoyance.

"One, okaa-san likes Sesshoumaru-sama, not you. She's already chosen," Shippou began, staring the wolf in the eye. "Two, we'd been in a tight spot for a long time before Sesshoumaru-sama started helping us. Where were you?" And…"

"And what, boy?", Kouga came one step closer to him, forgetting for a moment just who was holding him. Kagome 's skin glowed a little at that.

"And three, Sesshoumaru-sama remembered ME. Okaa-san took me in a long time ago, long before either of you b-bu-buffons showed up!," his eyes filled with tears. "If you don't respect your future mate's pre-existing kit, does that mean you're gonna make her throw me away? 'Cause Sesshoumaru-sama came and talked to me before he asked to court okaa-san!"

"Shhh, shh," Kagome soothed her son, a soft smile on her face as she hugged him, his face hidden in her blouse. "No one's ever going to make me throw you away. No one can do that. You know I'd choose you over any other guy in the world."

Sango heard it when Shippou began weeping, and came to Kagome. "Hey, do you need some help?"

"Yeah, Sango-chan, as a matter of fact I do. Could you take him just for a while, please?"

"Sure thing," the taijya replied, opening her arms. "Come here, Shippou-chan. I'll bet we can get Jaken to let us play hide-and-seek around them."

"D-do-do you think we can hide behind Ah-Un's belly?', Shippou countered, trying to control himself as they walked away.

Kouga watched the whole exchanged, a hopeful feeling taking over him. Now, could he talk to Kagome and try and apologize?

"Shippou-chan's right, you know," she spoke up first, bringing him back.

"About what?"

"Everything. But especially about it being my choice," she clarified. "You and Sesshoumaru can fight all you want, I'm still the one who decides who gets to court me. And if after everything, I decide none of you, then no matter who wins, that's how it's going to be."

"B-but Kagome, that's how youkai do things!", he tried.

"I'm not youkai now, am I, Kouga?", she countered. "I'll try and understand why you felt offended, even though I never promised you a thing. What I WON'T understand, I won't even try, is how I lose my right to choose what to do with my own life."

The miko didn't give him a chance to make his defence. She stomped right past him and went to put her bath things away in her backpack. Behind stayed a surprised and very angry Kouga. All that, just because those mutts had gotten to her sooner. There had to be a way of reversing this!

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Sesshoumaru could smell the wolf's return from a distance. As he walked back to camp, a large boar hung on his shoulders that should be able to sustain them for at least a few days, as long as the wolf didn't the hungry alpha male. It would not do for the pack to keep on cooking every night while in the on the open road like this. This sort of tasks wasted valuable time of either traveling or resting, and left them more exposed, as they stayed longer at one place.

No. They would cook his hunt tonight, and be done with it for the next few days.

As he got sooner, he smelt something else. The kit was crying. Nothing seemed off, except for the wolf's close proximity to Shippou and Kagome. They were not yet in hearing range, so he couldn't know exactly what was wrong. Speeding up as much as the boar would allow him without undoing itself, he stepped into the clearing thirty seconds later, in time Kouga staring at Kagome, who was re-arraging her backpack, while the boy sat with Rin and the two other humans near Ah-Un, the smell of tears fainter than before, but present.

The daiyoukai dropped his hunt next to the fire, and Miroku immediately came for it. The kitu looked up and his eyes lightened up. "Sesshoumaru-sama!", he cried and hopped closer to his… stepfather, maybe? He still didn't know if he was allowed to this kind of thing, but as of now, he wanted to be as close to the guy as possible. One, because he'd feel a lot better if he could get mokomoko-sama to stay with him and his mother tonight. And two, because he knew this would get on Kouga's nerves, and the fleabag deserved it.

Sesshoumaru acknowledge the approach with a nod, and more stated than asked. "Kit, you are unharmed."

"Yep."

"Still, you wept."

"Yes."

"I trust the problem to be solved by now."

At this, Kagome walked closer. "I think it'll be okay...", she said, picking Shippou up. "Now that you're back." At that last part, she looked up to the lord and smiled sweetly.

He bent down and nuzzled her temple before motioning for the boar Miroku was beginning to salt, a technique Kagome had learned in her time and taught the others. "I brought this for you."

"Oh, wow. Thanks, Sesshoumaru," said she, looking at all the meat. Then, her eyes fell back on his, waiting for an explanation.

"It is a youkai custom to present one's intended with hunt during courtship. To prove one's ability to provide for the pack."

"But… But you didn't have to prove anything. Everyone knows you're more than capable."

"It is just how youkai do things, koishii," he said and paused.

Her gaze moved from his eyes to the boar and back, and then light shone on her. Was he waiting for an answer? "Thank you, Sesshoumaru, for providing for us."

His lips turned into a soft smile before touching hers in a light kiss.

In the background, Kouga's jaw had fallen. The dog wasn't going to stand in hi way, because he was already so much further ahead. He'd need to work hard in order to prove he was better.


	34. Chapter 34 - Mama bear

**AN: Hi, guys!**

 **I'm so sorry for the overdue update. This chapter's caused me quite a bit of trouble. And then, I've just recently ended a 7 years' relationship, and I just didn't feel like I could write much about something that's barely started, like Sesshoumaru and Kagome, while I myself was ending it, you know?**

 **I'm not quite sure what to think of this chapter, to be honest. It's quite short, I'll tell you in advance.**

 **The good news is, I finally finished my research project so I can try to enroll for the master's program at my university. I am SO excited, and SO relieved. LoL**

 **Sorry about the long wait again. I'll try to avoid it in the future.**

 **The Fan of Almost Everything: Thank you so, so much! I hope you keep liking it!**

 **ladybug02: Thanks, he's gonna need it. He's gonna need it bad!**

 **Juliastes: He surely did. I hope this chapter will get it through his thick skull, though.**

 **.X: Nope, I don't think he is.**

 **Supernaturalfan17980: Thanks. And I'm sorry for the long wait :(**

 **Darknessdawns: I doubt it too, to be honest. He already knows she's clueless. Haha Thank you so much for your reviews!**

 **MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Yeah, he has. LoL**

 **Chapter 34: Mama bear**

Sesshoumaru kept watch over the camp as his pack slept that night. He didn't need nearly as much rest as humans. His eyes laid on Kagome's form, as she hugged Rin and the kit tightly. He on his turn, held on to mokomoko-sama. Who knew the boy would grow so attached to him? And who'd have ever guessed that he, the Killing Perfection, would feel so at ease about it?

His eyes left the "sleeping bag", as the miko had called it, and roamed to the tree under which the wolf sat, staring at her. Anger boiled through his veins. Kagome had refused to tell him about what had happened. At the demon slayer's advice, he had guessed. Offence was not easily forgiven amongst youkai. Especially when it concerned pack. Especially when it concerned one's intended and pups. And that was crucial. Young as the boy was, he was not given to crying for no reason or making a scene. That he had been crying little before his alpha had reached the camp meant something.

The daiyoukai's aura flashed in annoyance and anger. He knew this pack hardly needed his guidance. Not now, at any rate. The miko was their leader. She was good at it, and wise for her years. She was on the way to become a good warrior too. But for now, he was by far the most suitable protector. That was not a role he would be relinquishing any time soon. Not ever, if he was successful in his courting of the onna. She would become skilled in the arts of combat, but even after that he would be at her side.

She had told him of his her love of him a number of times by now. Her scent didn't hint at lies or even doubts. Her actions didn't either. She made it perfectly clear at every turn that she had chosen him, and until told otherwise he would fight for her.

The Lord of the West had to stop a growl that tried to erupt from his chest. He had expected competition, but this was getting out of hand. The half-breed, the wolf, apparently the Shadow too… Why were these people so intent on getting in his way and that of Kagome?

These thoughts occupied his mind for most of the night, and when that was over, sunrise met a very annoyed demon. Kouga could feel his rival wasn't in the mood for playing and spent a few hours wondering whether that meant he had an advantage and should take it, or he was in grave danger. Well, the wolf was nothing if not bravery incarnated. And it was with that sense of superiority and courage that he marched up to Kagome, who was currently talking to the monk.

Kouga was actually amazed that Sesshoumaru hadn't ripped the human's head off when his hand moved too close to Kagome's body for comfort. As a matter of fact, InuYasha had never done it either. What was with these dogs with allowing a male to touch a female?

"It's all about focus, Miroku-sama," she was saying as he walked closer. "I know most people prefer silence, but I found it's much easier for me to meditate and build barriers when there's just this little buzz of people chatting - or snoring," she explained with a giggle.

"Your progress is amazing, Kagome-sama. I'm very proud to have been a part of it," Miroku said, his voice just as soothing as Kouga remembered it when the monk was about to do something that would get any male's blood boiling. This time, though, it'd be a great opportunity, the wolf thought. A hand approached Kagome's backside. It was hero time!

"Don't even think about it, monk! Leave my woman be!", he cried, stepping between the two humans. Sango looked up from Kirara in shock, and Sesshoumaru bit back the most vicious growl he had ever controlled. He only did that in order to hear the far from threatening sound leaving Shippou's throat. In spite of his young age and lack of training, the boy proved time and time again how ready he was to defend his mother and his pack.

"Shippou-chan, perhaps you should let the adults handle it," said Rin. "We could play with Jaken. This man's not worth the risk of getting into a fight."

Kouga growled at her, and that made the daiyoukai's aura rise in an angry warning. He was cut off, though, by the bright light emanating from Kagome's body. "You listen here, Kouga. You growl at these children - or anyone else in this group, for that matter - one more time, and I swear I'll purify your ass into the next era!" The wolf now looked at the miko with wide eyes. The scene, if not so infuriating, would be downright comical. "I'm only telling you this once: Stop. Harassing. My. Children."

The look on Koga's face was priceless, Shippou thought. But then the wind shifted and things went south again.


End file.
